Honour
by scooter13
Summary: She just needs to survive everything, then maybe she can get back to normal.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, first big story. I don't know how long it's going to be, but I'm going to try to keep it to 10 or so chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

Colette ran down the hall, tracing her fingertips against the wall, trying to keep her bearings in the near pitch. She gasped for breath, the fire-axe slipping in her grip, the handle slick with blood and her own sweat.

She felt her foot catch on something, the fire axe clattering to the ground and skidding ahead of her as she threw her hands out, trying to stop her fall.

"Ah, fuck!" Hot pain shot up her arm when her hand slipped in a puddle of something, her upper body slamming into the ground at an odd angle. "Fuck, oh God, fuck," she gasped, slipping around as she tried to push herself up.

Colette stopped suddenly, her breath catching when she heard a low growl to her left, the air shimmering around the cloaked creature. She swallowed the thickness in her throat, her breath shaky and too loud. "Please, please," she whispered, her voice high and tight, "please just leave me alone."

The growl continued, interspersed with the strange chattering the creatures seemed to use as speech. Collette watched the shimmer crackle with electricity, blue flares of light flicking over the cloaked form, slowly revealing the creature.

She gulped, looking up the tall musculature of one of the things that had terrorized them for the past three days. His face was obscured by a large metal mask, dark ovals reflecting her fearful position back at her. There were tusks and fangs carved into the mask where his mouth would be, sweeping arches framing the forehead where a flowing symbol was carved. He cocked his head at her, thick hair flowing and clacking over one shoulder as he knelt down, one long wrist blade unsheathing slowly.

"Don't worry," a deep voice came from out of the mask, deeply sensuous and still carrying a hint of the smirk she remembered, "I'm a doctor."

* * *

It had begun a week ago, right after one of the best frat parties to celebrate the unnatural heat. Colette had been roped into attending, her dorm mate pissed off with her near-celibate lifestyle.

"Seriously," Amy had said, dabbing at her lips with red gloss. "This is the life the commercials promised us, the reason we all go to College in the first place!" Colette looked up from her Film Art text with raised brows, a large smile on her face. "No, that's the reason rich people go to College. We poor bastards relying on grants and scholarships actually go because we need and want a better life."

Amy made a rude noise and waved her hand through the air, bending closer to the mirror and adjusting her breasts inside her tube top, pushing them up. Colette watched her, chewing on the tip of her pencil thoughtfully. "Gotta say, though," she admitted, putting her book down, "it's been so fucking hot lately." Amy nodded and turned, admiring her ass in the tight, designer shorts that Colette was sure cost more than all the consignment clothes she'd packed into her little closet.

"So come out," Amy demanded, finally approving of her over all look and turning away from the mirror. "It'll be fun and you can finally get laid!"

Colette snorted but closed her book, dog earring the page and pushing the text to the back of her desk. "Yes, 'cause that's what I need," she said wryly, "to get knocked up by some drunk rich boy who's family will pay me off to keep the scandal from hitting the papers."

"And you can pay off your grants!" Amy cried, latching onto the faulty logic with glee and grinning widely. Colette laughed and turned to her friend with a disbelieving look on her face. "You don't have to pay off grants," she informed her, amusement thick in her voice, "They're given to you with no strings attached."

Amy's pretty face pulled into a small moue, her brows scrunching and full lips pursing. "They do that?" she asked, her voice high and almost grating if Colette wasn't so used to it. Colette only shook her head and smiled, wondering yet again how rich things like Amy were able to survive through College so long.

"Yes," she replied, trying not to laugh when she turned to her closet and began rifling through her paltry wardrobe. She considered a printed grey t-shirt, her head cocked to the side.

"No!" Amy cried, lunging forward and grabbing Colette's arm. "You can't wear any of that," she stated, her pretty facing twisting again in disgust. Colette frowned and looked between Amy and her closet. "Why the fuck not?" she demanded, vaguely insulted. Amy just rolled her eyes and released Colette's arm, fingering the t-shirts and jeans that made up the majority of her closet.

"It's the hottest Spring on record, and you're going to wear these?" she asked, flicking her fingers against each other as though she was trying to rid them of the stain of cheap jeans. Colette bit the inside of her cheek and swallowed, taking a deep breath so she wouldn't clock the brunette. "Well, yeah, I was. Not much of a choice," she snapped, trying to hold onto her temper. Amy huffed and rolled her eyes, her expression softening when she caught Colette's look.

"You can wear something of mine," Amy explained, sashaying over to her own closet and throwing it open, various garment bags toppling out of the over-stuffed space. "Hmm, let's see. You're really quite pretty," she said vaguely, pushing through her clothes, "if you just knew how to accent it you'd be really gorgeous."

Colette rolled her eyes, her lips pursing in irritation. "Thanks," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "next time I feel bad about myself I'll just remind myself to whore up."

Amy stopped and looked at her, putting slim hands on equally slim hips. "No need to be snappy," she retorted, grabbing a bag and shoving it toward the blonde, "I'm just trying to help."

"By telling me I don't know how to be gorgeous," Colette pointed out, taking the bag nonetheless.

"No," Amy explained patiently, tossing her dark curls, "by telling you to try. I'm not saying you don't know how, you just don't try."

Colette wanted to argue the point, but Amy had hit the nail on the head; most of the time she enjoyed the comfort of t-shirts and jeans, keeping warm with plain coloured hoodies and jackets on cooler days. Her blonde hair was always pushed into a messy pony tail, loose strands falling in front of her eyes and obscuring most of her face from the world.

Admitting defeat, she sighed and began to strip, Amy having made it clear the first couple of times Colette had run to the bathroom to change that it was really stupid for a girl to be so self-conscious in front of another girl.

She had to admit the dress looked good, though, smoothing the dark red material down her stomach and hips. Reaching only mid thigh, the mini dress had an asymmetrical neckline, held up by a single braided strap on her right side. "Hold still," Amy demanded, pulling the blonde hair free and shaking the strands out.

"We have the same shoe size, right?" the brunette asked from behind Colette, twisting her hair and pinning it. Colette nodded, watching Amy work, her hair quickly pulled and pinned until several loose strands framed her face, the rest pulled into a loose looking bun that sat low and to the side of her head.

"Perfect," Amy said, bending down and throwing shoeboxes aside until she found what she was looking for. Colette's mouth went dry, seeing the Louboutin logo etched in gold against the plain beige of the box. "Holy Crap, Amy," she sighed, her chest tightening at the thought of touching a pair of the designer shoes. "I can't wear those," she choked out, staring at the brunette.

Amy frowned at her. "You haven't even seen them, yet," she huffed, pulling the lid off, "they accent the dress perfectly."

"No-yes, yes they do," Colette said quickly, "but they're…those are really expensive shoes and I'm a sloppy drunk. Things are just falling off me, and those shoes…oh goodness, those shoes, they would not survive."

Amy looked down at the gorgeous studded stilettos, the nude color an almost perfect match with Colette's own pale skin, the red sole practically screaming money at anyone who noticed. Looking back up, she shrugged carelessly. "You can keep them," she said, pushing them toward Colette. "They're from two years ago, anyway. I haven't worn them for at least six months." Colette felt her jaw drop, staring down at the leather and metal she knew could probably pay for half her classes for a semester.

Looking back up at Amy, she felt something in her throat tighten and threw her arms around the ditzy and wonderful girl. "Okay," Amy laughed, pulling the blonde's arms from around her shoulders. "Just promise me one thing," she demanded as Colette pulled the shoes on and pivoted, admiring her sleek form in the mirror.

"Anything," Colette declared on a whim, grinning at her dorm mate who started to advance on her with tubes of gloss and mascara.

"When his family pays you off, I get half."

* * *

The party wasn't that bad, Colette had to admit. It was loud and stupid and the majority of the people were Legacy students who swapped yachting stories, but it wasn't alone in her dorm room during the hottest Spring on record, so Colette felt she had to give herself props.

So far she'd been hit on by six different guys and ground against by at least four others. Amy had slipped away half way through the night with a large, handsome guy who was paying for school with a football scholarship, flashing her blonde friend a quick grin and wink.

Colette now stood by the refreshment counter, not quite sure what to do but caught up in the energy so she didn't care. She felt a body jostle her, the drink she was holding sloshing over and just narrowly missing her expensive shoes.

"Sorry!" a deep voice came from beside her, yelling through the pounding music and screaming girls. Colette turned and smiled at the handsome man, his button-down purple shirt perfectly set against his dark skin. "S'okay!" she yelled back, leaning in to be heard. "You're wearing purple, all is forgiven." He laughed, a deep baritone almost lost in the pounding bass. "If I knew it was that easy, I'd wear purple all the time," he responded, placing a hand on the table behind her, leaning in close.

Colette smiled and leaned further into him, her eyes narrowed conspiratorially, her gaze just a little unsteady. "But then it would lose its magic," she confided, "and then you'd just be a guy wearing a purple shirt."

His full lips twisted in his handsome face, a grin splitting his features. "Am I over-wearing it now?" he asked, leaning in further until his lips brushed against her earlobe. Colette blushed, knew what he was doing and blamed the drink for not backing away. "Maybe," she said instead, her free hand reaching up and playing with the collar.

His dark eyes glittered when he pulled back. "What say we find some place quieter," he suggested, his deep voice wrapping itself around her brain and muffling all the protests that started to rise up. Nodding, Colette put her drink down and took his hand, following along behind him as he cut a path through the crowd, pulling her up the stairs to the dorm floors.

When they reached his room, he turned to her and before she could rethink anything, remembering her promise to Amy, she threw herself at him, pulling him down for a deep kiss.

He moaned into her mouth, large hands coming up and grasping her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Inside," Colette panted when he pulled away. Nodding, he fumbled with his keys before pushing the door open and nearly falling through when Colette leaned against him, pushing him into the room.

She was nearly naked, her bra off and panties in the process of being pulled down when the alcoholic haze cleared for a moment, her mind finally able to process what was about to happen. She stiffened, the long heel of one shoe catching on the bed covers when she tried to draw her legs up. The man, she didn't even know his name, looked up from where he was drawing her panties down.

"Um, my name's Colette," she finally said, sitting up and extending a hand awkwardly. He stared at her before chuckling, patting her thigh lightly. "Connor," he revealed, reaching up and grasping her smaller hand in his. "Right," Colette said, licking her dry lips, "hi Connor." She kicked her panties off, deciding it was too late to back down but wanted to stall for a moment longer.

Connor smirked at her and lowered a hand down to the curls covering her sex, brushing his knuckles through the course strands. "If you need some more alcohol, there's a party downstairs," Connor suggested, smiling.

Colette shook her head and lay back. "Sorry, just-I don't do this and it's a little…awkward," she revealed, starting to twist her fingers together. Connor chuckled and kissed the dip of her stomach, moving his hand further down and brushing against her moist lips. Colette gasped and arched off the bed, her long heels ripping the bed sheets, embarrassed that she'd forgotten how good that sensation was.

"Don't worry," he said, moving between her legs, smirk firmly in place, "I'm a doctor."

* * *

The day after, the power had gone down, encouraging the party into an extension as a majority of classes were canceled until the back-up generators could be brought online.

"It's weird," Colette said three days later, hunched over her Photography essay. "Why would someone destroy the back-up generators?" she asked, pushing a damp strand of hair behind her ear, wiping at the back of her neck with her hand.

Unfortunately, the power outage also took out their air-conditioning and most students who stayed on campus could be found lounging by the pools and fountains, many sitting in the shower rooms underneath cold water. Amy lay on the floor moaning, her pretty hair fanned out and scraggly against the carpet. "I don't know but they need to burn in hell!" she declared. "Oh, wait, that's what we're doing."

Colette snorted, pushing her essay away. "Fuck, I can't work like this!" she grumbled, throwing her pencil at her desk, watching it bounce off and roll on the ground. "Jesus fuck, I can't believe the entire grid is down."

The whole of the campus was shut down, the large mini-city quiet and dark. There had been a massive party the first day, many of the restaurants, bars and bistros on campus wanting to sell their food before it went bad.

Now, they all sat in darkness, all the food cleared out after the second day, the intense heat speeding the rotting process. Many students had opted to leave campus until the power came back up, spending their parents' hard-earned money, or their own loans, on hotels that had air-conditioning.

Amy had almost gone, but Colette had refused, wanting to stay close to the library for her homework. Unwilling to leave her friend, Amy had stayed as well. "We could be in a hotel in thirty minutes," Amy piped up, raising her head and looking at the blonde hopefully.

"Tempting," Colette said with a smile, "but I was thinking we could head down to that party at the frat again. Alcohol seemed to help last time." Amy's eyes widened and she jumped up excitedly, her previous lethargy forgotten.

"Yes," she cried, hugging the blonde, "you're finally buying into the hype!"

Colette just rolled her eyes, but had to admit that the Frat knew how to throw a party. And she looked amazing in those stiletto heels.

* * *

The killings started the next morning, the gruesome, twisted corpse of a deer strung from a tree greeting the remaining students.

The administration called it a sick prank pulled by the drunken students, but sent out a caution and curfew anyway. The next day, it was the smell of meat rotting in the intense heat that forced down the doors of several dorm rooms, skinless, headless corpses lying in different positions around the rooms.

By the evening, the administration had evacuated as many of the students as they could, giving the remainder until morning to pack and leave.

Colette woke up to screaming, several voices clamouring from every floor. It was still dark, the sweltering heat still oppressive even at night. Amy sat up in her bed, looking just as scared and confused as Colette. "What's happening?" she whispered. Colette shrugged, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and stepping down, slipping her feet into the sandals she kept by her bed.

"I don't know, but are you packed?" Amy nodded, her dark hair shining in the moonlight. "Okay," Colette continued, "me, too. Let's just get out now, kay?" Amy nodded again, slipping out of the bed and reaching through the dim light toward her. Colette caught her hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"It's okay," the blonde said, picking up her duffel and smiling, "we'll be okay."

* * *

Now, as she lay on the ground staring up at the creature that was dragging the blade along her cheek, she wished she was still asleep. "Please, please," she begged, her voicing catching, tears dripping down her face.

"It's okay," her own voice piped back at her and Colette felt her body seize with fear, her lips pulling back into a grimace as fresh sobs wracked her body. "Oh God," she sobbed, laying her head down, her body and mind giving up.

The creature growled again, pressing the blade into the flesh of her neck. Colette felt the tip slice through her skin and she jerked away, adrenaline forcing her body into motion. Kicking at the creature, it barely grunted at the impact, only sitting back as she pushed herself up and half-ran, half-slid to the dropped fire-axe.

Grasping the handle, blood oozing between her fingers, she turned to face the creature. It stayed kneeling, it's masked visage tilted toward her again and he rumbled. Colette frowned, tightening her grip on the fire-axe. "Come on!" she yelled, raising the weapon like a baseball bat, choking up on the wooden handle.

"You ugly son-of-a-bitch!" Amy's voice filtered out of the mask, just as strong and just as determined as when Colette had last seen her. She'd been run-through by one of the creatures after she'd struck at the mask with the axe Colette now held, screaming at him when his face was revealed. She'd been defending Colette, the blonde having backed herself into a corner of the laundry room when Amy had burst through the door with the weapon.

"Fuck you!" Colette shouted back, figuring the thing was taunting her. He remained crouched down, rumbling and Colette realized he was laughing at her; taunting her and laughing at her as if she was a toy he found great amusement in. She thought that that was probably true, the way the creatures had herded them around after locking the doors and barring the windows.

They had realized early into the slaughter that their cell phones were smashed, the screens cracked and batteries dead or gone. The remaining students had been panicked as, one by one, they disappeared, reappearing in the worst, most shocking ways and states.

"This is a fucking game?" She wondered why she was still talking, the axe slipping in her grip just a bit more. The creature rumbled again, this time his upper body shaking almost deliberately, letting her see his amusement. Swallowing hard, she tensed, ready to turn and run when the creature bolted up, his gaze focused on something just behind her. Colette felt her breath leave her in a high sob when she heard the tell-tale crackle of electricity just behind her, so close the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end from the charge.

Closing her lips tight, she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her when she heard a deep rumbling growl interspersed with chittering and clacking. The creature in front of her leaned forward, his own growl harsh as he gestured around him. Colette realized they were speaking to each other and dared a glance behind her. The new one was larger than the creature in front of her, his mask surprisingly simple, flaring ridges around the cheeks and above the eyes were the only decoration besides a different flowing symbol on the brow above his left eye.

He gestured, his movements quick and agitated. Colette looked around, realizing her situation was dire. She was stuck in a hallway between two monsters, both blocking any chance of an exit. She tried to think, wondered how the hell she'd get out of there and why the administration hadn't shown up, yet. With all the noise being made and the campus eerily quiet in the power outage, she figured someone had to have heard. Unless they were dead, as well. Swallowing, she moved her right foot backward, hoping to be able to dart around the large creature and run down the staircase before they could catch up.

The monster in front of her snarled, and extended both wrist blades. Raising them, he advanced and Colette shrieked, turning away from him. The large creature behind her stepped around her, none too gently pushing her aside and into the wall, catching the smaller one and throwing him over his shoulder. Colette flattened herself against the wall, eyes wide, fire axe clutched against her chest as she watched them fight.

The first lifted himself, his hair swinging, one of the skulls hanging at his waist broken in half. The second extended a large spear, charging toward the smaller one, his metal boots impacting the floor with such force that the cheap wood and plaster actually cracked just a bit.

Colette watched them, unable to look away as they fought, the two large forms undeniably graceful, even in the dark. She was jolted back to reality when the smaller one smashed into the wall beside her, falling through the plaster and creating a hole large enough that Colette began to fall through as well.

She raised the axe out of instinct, seeing the large alien beneath her, falling against the hard body. She was stopped by a sick thunking sound, the handle of the axe pushing painfully into her sternum and belly. She gasped, her upper body pressing down on the fire-axe that was now imbedded in the thing's skull, bright green blood oozing out of the wound as the powerful body beneath her convulsed.

She finally got a good look at his face and wished it hadn't been so close. Colette pulled back, a small sound of fear and disgust pulled from her throat when she took in the alien face. Four mandibles surrounded a small, fleshy mouth, sharp fangs covered with green blood protruded out of the jaw. Its golden eyes were set deep into its pale brown face, dark red spots almost like freckles started at its forehead and extended up the long brow ridge, which was now split apart by the blade of the axe.

She was so busy staring into the fading light of its eyes, sitting on the powerful body and watching the thing that had terrorized her finally die, that she had completely forgotten there was another one.

A large hand grasped her arm and pulled her up, dragging her away from the body as she screamed and tried to turn. "Quiet," a voice she didn't recognize hissed from the mask, the large creature shaking her. Colette swallowed and drew a deep breath, trying to calm her breathing and suppress the fear that threatened to take over her body again.

Satisfied, it let her go, raising one finger and pointing deliberately at the floor, gesturing for her to stay. Colette swallowed and nodded, cringing away as the creature considered her for a moment, hair and beads clacking over his shoulder when he tilted his head before he turned away from her.

He walked to the wall where his blow had knocked the other's mask off. Raising his hands, he plucked at the hoses at the side of his mask, air and gas releasing with a hiss before he pulled the mask off. His back was turned, so Colette wasn't able to get a look at him, but she knew an opportunity when she saw one. Gathering her courage, she tensed when he knelt down to pick up the other mask, not waiting for him to stand before she'd pivoted and run off. She heard a sharp bark behind her but didn't stop, barrelling through the fire doors and running down the stairwell.

* * *

She didn't get very far, every door and window near an exit barred and locked, metal soldered and welded together. She screamed in anger and fear as she pounded against a piece of steel that used to be a shelf covering a window, her knuckles splitting and bleeding under the abuse.

"Fuck!" she screamed, hitting the metal again, "Where is everyone!" The building was near pitch black, every possible opening boarded up. What little light streamed through small cracks that had been left because the metal was just too small, but there was never enough room to break the glass to yell for help.

Colette slumped against the wall, exhausted, the adrenaline rush over. Something moved at the far end of the common room, crunching through bodies and broken furniture. Colette looked up, angry and tired, not even bothering to be afraid because that took too much energy.

"What the fuck do you want?" she asked as the creature stopped in front of her, his large body taking up her entire view.

It extended a hand, grasping Colette's upper arm and squeezing. With his other hand, he made the pointing gesture again, growling. "You wanted me to stay," Colette said tiredly, "but I didn't fucking want to." The creature growled again and shook her, rattling her teeth. "What do you want?" she asked again, her voice rising with hysteria.

"Safety is important," a pleasant, female voice came through the mask, sounding like an airplane safety instructor. Colette frowned and shook her head.

"What?"

The creature gestured toward her then toward himself before he made a gesture toward one of the doors. "Leaving?" Colette guessed, confused. When he nodded slowly, Colette bit her lip and frowned at him. "With you?" she continued, shaking her head when the creature nodded.

"No, I need to stay. The police need to know what happened." The creature growled and shook his head, shaking her more forcefully.

"People need to know what happened," Colette said, trying to move away from the grasp, not sure if he would hurt her or not. He growled again, this time with a definite edge to it and shook his head more vigorously, his beads clacking against each other loudly.

Colette swallowed and tried to collect her thoughts. "If I go with you, what happens?" she asked, biting her lip again. "You live," a gravelly voice said from the mask, a Western twang almost making it sound like Clint Eastwood.

"But why?" The question was out before she could stop it and Colette wanted to kick herself for her own stupidity. "Wait, no, don't answer that, please." He nodded and straightened, tightening his grasp on her arm and pulling her along.

"Hey!" Colette yelled, "wait, I didn't say anything." He just growled and continued to drag her along. She wrenched her arm out of his grip, flinching when he turned on her with a snarl. "I-," she stopped when her voice cracked. Licking her lips, she continued, "I need my stuff. If-if I'm going with you, I'll need my things. They're already packed," she continued quickly when he snarled, "I just need to grab it. I think I dropped it up on the third floor."

He nodded and moved in front of her, walking up the stairs first. When they found her bag, dropped near her dorm door when they'd found the first body, she quickly darted into her room, feeling in the dark until she found the shoebox she'd hidden underneath her bed. They'd left so many things, expecting to come back. Her throat tight, she swallowed her tears as the image of Amy handing the shoes to her so carelessly floated in her mind.

Walking out, she reached toward the creature when he turned, not touching him but keeping her hand near his body so she could feel where he moved. She briefly flirted with running again, but that would probably prove just as ineffectual as the first time and just piss him off more.

He easily took out the soldered doors, a gun strapped to his shoulder shooting a sizeable hole through the metal. It took a moment for Colette's eyes to adjust to the daylight, but when she did, she stopped, dropping her shoes and bag. It was like some sick Halloween prank, pieces and entrails thrown everywhere, intestines hanging from the trees like gruesome decorations.

"Jesus Fuck," she whimpered, looking around her, taking in the blood splattered everywhere. "What the fuck? Why?" She looked up at the creature that had stopped a few feet in front of her, growling coming from beneath his mask again as he waited. In the light, she now saw he had the other creature's head mounted on his back, like some weird trophy. He gestured at her to keep moving, but Colette shook her head, scared but angry and disoriented by the unnecessary gore surrounding her.

"No," she yelled, her voice thin around the lump in her throat, "No, what happened?" The creature cocked his head and looked around slowly, deliberately as if pointing out the obvious.

Colette shook her head angrily. "No, that's not what I mean. Why? Why did it happen, why us, why now? What did we do?"

The creature stood there, his hands curling and uncurling, strong muscles flexing as he shifted his stance. "Nothing," a deep, rumbling voice said, interspersed with clacking. Colette was taken aback, this one more natural than the others and she wondered if it was his real voice.

"So why?" she demanded again, her voice cracking. She looked away and to the fountain where several dark red masses floated in the now murky water.

He was quiet and Colette flinched away when she turned back only to find him standing in front of her. His mask was grossly impersonal, the grey metal almost cruel in its stillness, tilted as he looked down at her. She looked into the dark eyes, her own face reflected back. He raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, growling again but not shaking her. She realized he was comforting her, as best he could, she supposed. He straightened after only a moment and his grip tightened as he began to lead her away again.

Colette sighed and bent to pick up her belongings, deciding there was nothing for it but to follow her unlikely saviour.

* * *

And first chapter done! Hope you enjoy, reviews and feedback always appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

And here's chapter two! I'm trying to hold on to the pacing, but this story is going somewhere, so I apologize if it all seems a little rushed. Enjoy! :)

* * *

When the ship materialized in the middle of the quad, a flick of his wrist gauntlet decloaking it, Colette actually laughed. It was choked and hysterical, but she couldn't help it, seeing tangible, inarguable proof that these things were from a completely different planet.

"I can't come back, can I?" she asked before she stepped onto the ramp leading into the ship. He stopped and turned to her, his head tilting again before he shook it slowly, long hair swinging with the movement. Colette deflated, too tired and sad to argue. She sighed and tightened her grip on her paltry belongings. Stepping into the ship, she glanced over her shoulder as the ramp retracted and the door slid closed, her home gone.

* * *

She sat in the corner of the small room he'd given her, standing outside as she'd stepped in. Colette had turned back to find him watching her from beyond the doorway, standing in the hall.

She hadn't moved for the past few hours, or so she'd guessed; she had no watch or cell phone and there didn't seem to be any visible timepieces on the ship. He'd left her in the room, turning away and leaving her with a small clacking. She'd felt a vibration shortly after, a slight popping in her ears and nausea the only sign that they had started moving. She wanted to cry but it seemed she'd used everything up back at the College. She wondered if anyone had found them or if the entire city was treated to the same fate.

She clutched the shoebox to her chest, rocking slightly. It seemed like such a stupid thing to bring, to care about, but she didn't have much to begin with and the shoes were a reminder of what a single wonderful, rich, ditzy, brave person was capable of and Colette wished with all her being that she'd been able to repay Amy's selfless act.

But her parents would only ever find the brunette's bloodied corpse with no explanation as to why someone would destroy such a beautiful life. She had a thought, clutching the shoebox and wondered if it could work. But to offer an apology and thank-you would mean to offer an explanation, and Colette knew her…companion wouldn't allow that to happen.

Sighing, she looked around the sparse room. She was still covered in blood and she started to feel it drying and tightening, flakes itching against her skin. She needed a shower in the worst way, but she wasn't sure where she could find a running water source.

Keeping a firm hold of the shoebox, she stood up and poked her head out of the doorway. Looking both ways, she stepped out cautiously. "Hello?" she called out, wondering where her large companion had gone.

The hallways were covered in a light mist, unbroken and dense, the air too hot and reminding her of the dorm room. Mist swirled around her knees as she walked through the halls, turning when a fork was presented to her before she found herself staring at what looked to be a cargo hold. Huffing, she turned and began to walk back, quickly losing herself in the mist and heat, sweat trickling down her neck and chilling her.

"Crap," she sighed when she found herself up against another dark wall. "Need a friggin map," she grumbled, half-heartedly punching the metal. She jumped when it released and slid up with a slight hiss, revealing a large window and two chairs, her companion seated in the closest one.

He looked at her, even seated he was about the same height as her, and without his mask she was confronted with his naked features. Colette finally got to study him, holding back the cry of fear and disgust at the suddenness of seeing him. Just like the other, he had four mandibles covering a fleshy mouth, his eyes a bright gold shadowed by a low brow. His coloring was different though, a dark grey, almost black, with lighter beige spots.

Colette swallowed, watching him as he cocked his head, his mandibles clicking. "I was trying to find a shower," she explained, gesturing to herself, dried blood flaking at the movement. He looked down her body and back up, reaching one hand out and poking her t-shirt. "And a change," she added, moving out of his reach.

He considered her, his golden eyes taking her in and Colette once again wondered why she was here and not decorating the campus like all the others. She didn't want to ask, though, afraid that pointing out the obvious would have him rethinking her position on the ship.

Finally he turned his seat, tapping a few glowing buttons on a console in front of him before standing. He was imposing, standing well past 7 feet, close to 8, and the blurred stars streaking behind him only served to make the scene more surreal. She never had a real chance to study him, but confronted with his admittedly impressive musculature in such a small space was not how Colette wanted to do it. She looked away and cleared her throat.

Gesturing, he moved past her and led her down the halls until she found herself at a small alcove set into a wall. He turned and looked at her, tilting his head again and chattering, his mandibles moving, the tusks clacking against his teeth. She looked at him, then back into the alcove, studying it and noticing a ring of holes set into the ceiling. She looked back at him, frowning and hoping this wasn't what she thought it was.

He chattered again and knelt down, placing one hand on the floor of the stall, pressing down until there was a small whine from the walls. Water rushed out of the ceiling, confirming it was a shower. When he released his hand, the water stopped flowing. He looked at her, head tilted and hand spread wide as if to indicate she step in.

"Um, okay," Colette began, looking at the stall. "I, uh, just need to get my clothes and you wouldn't happen to have a towel or, you know, a shower curtain?" He made a huffing noise, his brows pulling low for a moment and rumbling.

Colette swallowed but held her ground, using every ounce of her strength to keep his gaze. He nodded at her and rose, walking away. Colette trailed behind, grabbing her duffel from her room and leaving the shoebox by the furs, turning and following him back to the shower stall. He placed a hand firmly against the wall beside the stall and pushed, another small space opening up and revealing a shelf with several folded linens.

He started to walk away, but Colette stopped him. "And a shower curtain?" she asked, biting her lip. He turned to her and shook his head, his upper mandibles twitching slightly as he growled. Colette frowned and turned to the stall, her gaze darting between the open space and his retreating back.

"Okay, it's just like Amy said. Except he's not a girl," she muttered, jumping when she heard another growl drifting back to her from the hall her companion had turned down.

Shaking her head, she began to strip, wondering what the hell was going to happen to her.

* * *

She was awoken by a quick bark, mildly disoriented when she sat up on the thick furs, wondering why her blanket was so furry. She noticed the hulking shape in the doorway and screamed before her mind slammed back into the present, all the memories of the past days catching up to her.

"Oh Jesus," she moaned, falling back down and rubbing her face. There was another sharp bark from the doorway, her companion's tone impatient. Colette pushed herself up, pushing her hair back and into a ponytail. She walked to the door warily, her bare feet warming against the grated metal floor. She didn't know why he never came into her room, but she was grateful for the small privacy anyway.

"What's happening?" she asked, following when he gestured to her. They wound through the halls, coming back to the cockpit she'd discovered the night before. Sitting in the chair, he gestured for her to stand beside him, barking at her. Colette frowned, sighing deeply at how tiring the language barrier was quickly becoming.

"Watch," he growled at her and Colette's eyes widened. Before she could speak, though, he rumbled darkly, his dreads clacking against each other as his head tilted and he slanted his gaze toward her. Colette bit her lip and nodded, her backbone smartly hiding itself, knowing when to back down.

She turned her gaze to the window he now stared at, his fingers playing over the lit up keys on the console. A video fizzed alive into the air and Colette watched with dismay as the first image revealed a sleeping student before he was abruptly awoken and murdered. She continued to relive the slaughter on campus with growing nausea and horror, the video flashing between infrared and night vision.

She wanted to speak, but every time she opened her mouth he rumbled warningly. She watched in silence and dread, seeing her red outline pressed against a wall. She recognized Amy's red and orange form charging in, her body strong and clumsy, swinging the axe. The image fizzed out as the mask clattered to the floor, Amy's shout filling the small cabin before the image cleared in time to see Colette's sandaled foot push against the ground as she'd sprinted away.

"What is this for?" she finally asked, her voice choked listening to herself scream at the creature taunting her. Her companion clicked rapidly, his mandibles moving quickly. He shut the video off when his large form appeared behind Colette and turned toward her. "Proof," he said shortly, eyes dark under his brow.

"For what?" she demanded, looking at him. He turned to the console again and pressed several buttons, a different image flickering to life in front of them. It showed a ship, longer than the one she was on now. He gestured to it, then to the two of them.

"That's where we're going?" Colette asked, looking at the flickering image. "Why?" He chattered, gesturing to the ship and themselves again, then brought up the still image of her standing in the darkened hallway again.

She shook her head, not understanding. "What-Am I…," she breathed deep, not sure how to ask the question. He seemed to sense her distress and began to rumble again, but it was softer and deeper. Colette felt herself blushing and swallowed when she realized he was purring. "Um, what will happen?" she asked, her voice unsteady, fear beginning to set into her again.

"Trial," was the answer, his deep rumble settling into her. Colette frowned. "Trial?" she repeated, "against me?"

He shook his head. "With you," he said his voice and lack of lips garbling the words but she still understood what he was trying to say, if not why.

"With me?" she repeated, starting to feel even more lost and stupid. He nodded slowly, watching her with bright golden eyes. She still didn't understand, so he played the video of the slaughter again, pausing at the first student to be torn apart. Colette swallowed, the image freezing the fear on the young face, the blood splattering around as his intestines floated in mid-air. Her companion pointed to the frightened boy. "Unarmed," he rumbled out, almost hissing.

Colette turned to him, seeing the way his mandibles flared and his brow lowered, hair bristling slightly. "That's bad?" she asked, not quite understanding the logic behind being angry at an unarmed murder victim.

"No honour," he replied, slanting his gaze toward her, his mandibles clicking. Colette was taken off guard by the answer, looking at him with raised brows. "Honour?" she repeated, anger and disbelief tinting her voice. "Where the fuck was the honour there?" she demanded, pointing at the poor bastard frozen in pain. "That's not honour."

He shook his head and rumbled again, his dreads clacking. "Yes," he hissed out, "No honour."

"So if he was armed, then it'd be okay to kill him?" she asked, swallowing and looking away when her companion nodded. "No, no it's not okay," she snapped, not willing to look at the creature sitting in front of her. "He was a kid; he hadn't done anything to you. Why were you there, why did they kill us?"

He chattered and she looked back to him, finding his head cocked again, watching her with careful golden eyes. His hand moved over the console and both images flickered out, replaced with one video of a deer leaping through the woods, its graceful flight suddenly ended with a spray of gore through its neck and shoulder. Colette watched the video, aware of the heavy golden gaze on her and a sick feeling developed in her stomach, watching camouflaged hunters stepping out of the brush.

"You hunt us," she stated numbly, the realization settling heavily on her. "We're prey to you?" she asked, turning to him, her expression pained and disbelieving, her tormentor's behaviour making a sick sense. "You hunt us because we're animals to you, nothing except a source of food?"

He shook his head, growling, his mandibles pulling tight against his mouth. He gestured to the human skulls hanging at his waist, then to the large antlers on the deer in the video. "Trophies!" Colette cried, understanding. "You kill us to collect trophies?" He nodded, watching her.

Colette shook her head, covering her face with her hands, a hysterical laugh bursting from her. "So you just wander around until you find any old bastard with a butter knife and take their heads?" she demanded, her voice muffled behind her hands. He growled at her, but she didn't want to look at him, so she just shook her head, the world still hidden by her hands.

"Jesus fuck, what the fuck is this supposed to prove? Why am I here? Am I a living trophy, a little bit to prove to people that the big bad hunter's still got it? Are you going to prove your honour by showing off the deaths of innocent children?"

He roared at her that time, standing and grasping her upper arms and shaking her forcefully, her hands lowering in shock. Colette swallowed, her fear stealing her voice and she shook in his grip his mandibles flared and golden eyes bright with fury.

He barked at her, his mandibles quivering, hair bristling and Colette realized she had maybe gone too far. For all she knew, he hadn't killed any of the students, fighting the sick creatures that had.

He had not hurt her, had in fact protected her and saved her life. She owed him, and she'd done a poor job of showing that. Swallowing, she tried to speak, but only squeaked when he shook her again before releasing her and straightening to his full height.

He stared down at her, his mandibles pulled tight against his mouth. His muscles flexed as he seemed to try to contain himself, staring down at her with such anger she actually felt herself shrink underneath the gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, clearing her throat and repeating the apology, much louder. "This…you helped me, but I watched my friends die yesterday. I'm an art student, this doesn't happen to people like me and I still don't know why I'm here." The explanation was lame, even to her and she needed to keep talking because it was finally coming out.

He watched her, not moving, still growling underneath his breath. Colette swallowed, feeling the tears rise up again and desperately tried to stop them, embarrassed when the hot tears spilled over and slid down her cheeks. "My best friend…Amy, she's the one who saved me in the laundry room; she died because I was an idiot. She should be here, she should have lived, not been gutted like…like an animal. She didn't deserve that, none of those kids did. I just don't understand any of this and you _hunt_ us. Like animals and that's unbelievable to me." She took a deep breath, lifting her gaze to his earnestly. "Just…please, I just want to know what's going on, why I'm here. You said something about a trial, but I still don't get why that includes me."

He tilted his head, chattering down at her as she spoke. When she finished, he sat down again, his golden eyes still bright with anger, but the intensity had dimmed somewhat. Colette swallowed, wiping her face with the heels of her hands, watching him. "You…proof," he said, pointing to her again to emphasize his words.

"Proof of what?" Colette asked, still lost and trying to hold onto her patience and calm just a bit longer. "Dishonour," he hissed, bringing up the video of the slaughter again.

Colette looked down, her brow furrowed as she tried to clear her mind and focus on what he was saying, her thoughts moving like molasses. "I survived," she said slowly, "and so can offer proof? Of the other guy's dishonour?" She narrowed her eyes at the thought of such a strict honour code enforced by a race who hunted humans for sport.

He sat back as if satisfied, a pleased rumble filling the small space. "But why?" she asked, looking over to the video. "You have this as proof, why do you need me? If I'm just a…a trophy animal why would anyone believe me?"

His fingers played over the console again and a different video came up, one of his perspective she guessed, seeing her smaller form pushed aside as the other creature attacked. She watched the fight, watched as she stumbled and accidentally killed her tormentor.

"I killed him, that's why?" Her companion nodded, rumbling. He cocked his head at her again when she raised her fingers to the image, her trembling form sitting on the convulsing body that was slowly fading from red and orange to blue and green. "But why do you still need me?"

"Took honour," he replied, his tusks clacking together, his head still tilted, golden eyes watching her.

"I gained honour by killing him?" she asked, turning to him again. He nodded slowly, long hair moving.

"Because he was dishonourable." He nodded again. Colette took a breath, understanding starting to grow in her mind. "But why can't I stay?" she asked, "Why take me with you if you have this. Just show them and they'll know."

He shook his head again and pointed to her, clacking something in his own language. She shook her head, not understanding. He pointed to her again then brought his hand up in a closed shell, opening and closing it, miming speech.

"I would've spoken?" she guessed. He nodded, lowering his hand and making a cutting motion across his throat. "And been killed?" She felt like she was winning an odd game of charades when he nodded again. "But if I go with you, I can prove I won't tell?"

He chattered, his upper mandibles flaring slightly, lower mandibles held close to his face. She felt oddly glad when his brow rose, his entire expression looking relieved and pleased. "Okay, okay, I can do that," she said, huffing out a deep breath.

He nodded at her again, turning back to the screen. The image flickered away, replaced by the large ship again. He raised three fingers and Colette frowned. "Hours?" she guessed, going higher when he shook his head. "Days? Months? Weeks? Weeks, three weeks?" He nodded and Colette felt her shoulders slump with exhaustion again. "Three weeks. Will we stop anywhere, or are we stuck on the ship?"

He made a downward gesture with one finger and Colette sighed in understanding. Her t-shirt was sticking to her damp body, the heat still oppressive and she was now finding it difficult to breathe. Not alarmingly so, but she wondered at how different their air was. He didn't seem to notice anything, however, standing up and moving away, looking back at her. She followed along obediently, pulling at the collar of her shirt. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Colette sat on one of the many crates in the small cargo hold the next day, munching on a piece of jerky that tingled her mouth slightly, but she was hungry enough that she didn't care, having eaten nothing for the past two days. Her companion sat across from her, watching her as she watched him, his mandibles holding the meat and pushing it into his small mouth.

It was weird that it hadn't taken her very long to get used to his face, but with no one else for the past few days or so, she found she could acclimate easily to ward off her loneliness. He was ugly, there was no denying that, his scaly skin and fleshy jaw too alien to be intriguing, but there was something in his eyes that was familiar, so she focussed mostly on them.

She sighed, her leg falling asleep and she adjusted her position, stretching the tingling limb. "My name is Colette," she offered into the silence. He continued eating, watching her. "Guan-thwei," he rumbled finally, finishing the last of his jerky.

"Gwahn-thway?" Colette repeated hesitantly. He chuffed but nodded, standing. She stood as well, having nothing else to do but follow him around or explore the ship. He tilted his head, regarding her. She looked back up at him, tucking a damp strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Is it okay if I explore?" she asked, holding his gaze as best she could. He was intimidating, even when he wasn't scowling and she tried to show her own strength as much as possible. He nodded once before turning and stalking through the mist and heat. Colette coughed and cleared her throat, her chest tight. She'd have to figure out the temperature control on the shower; she desperately needed to sit somewhere cold for awhile.

Shaking out her limbs, she yawned and started down the hall, taking random twists and turns, exploring the ship. She had donned her cheap sandals again, a quick scrub in the shower freeing most of the blood from them. She brushed her fingertips against the warm metal walls, trying to feel for any dips or indentations that would indicate some more hidden rooms or compartments.

She was lost again, about to turn around and try to find a familiar path when her fingernails caught on a seam in the wall. Colette turned, smiling slightly at the small discovery and traced her palms against the wall, pressing until the door released and hissed.

Warm mist curled into a room much like her own, but larger. Skulls of various sizes decorated the walls, soft lights illuminating the shining bone. Colette hesitated at the doorway, looking around her before she stepped in, more mist following her.

She stepped up to the nearest skull, tracing her fingertips along the shining bone. It was rather large, a horned crest rising up from its equally thorny brow, large tusks jutting out of its lower jaw nearly to its sinus cavity. She turned away, looking up at the impressive kills, having to admit that the way it was arranged and displayed was certainly awesome.

A large pile of furs was set up in a corner, armour and various weapons sitting in receded shelves above the bed. She moved further down the line of trophies, swallowing and quickly looking away from a variety of human skulls.

A deep growl from the door way froze her hand, half-way to touching an oblong, ridged skull. Turning quickly, she found Guan-thwei growling at her, his brow lowered, fists clenching and unclenching. Colette suddenly remembered he never entered her room and wondered if she'd violated some rule, thinking she probably did with the way he was scowling at her.

"Ah, sorry," she stuttered, "I just…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have invaded your personal space." She tried to salvage what she could, grasping onto his trophies. "Cool skulls, though," she said, her voice trying to be bright. Something flared in his gaze, his growl lowering and evening out for a moment before he stopped abruptly.

Colette swallowed nervously, twisting her fingers together. "Right, I'm sorry, I won't come back here," she apologized quickly, moving forward. He stepped to the side, watching her leave. Colette glanced up, his golden eyes bright and she felt her face heat under his regard. Coughing, she turned away, rubbing her chest.

When she collapsed onto her furs, she tried to ignore the different heat that had started at his look. He was a killer, had readily admitted to seeing her race as nothing more than trophy animals, mounting human skulls on his wall. But she was alive because of him, and even if she couldn't go home, he was giving her a chance to live longer.

If she was honest, his body wasn't something completely bad to look at, sparsely covered by metal armour most of the time. The fact that he was a powerful male keeping her but never forcing her or hurting her despite his obviously superior strength didn't help matters. She was starting to humanize him, she realized. Colette sighed and rolled her eyes, wondering if this was some version of Stockholm's.

Three weeks was a long time, she thought, drifting off, her breath wheezing out of her.

* * *

Hope you liked! R&R always appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

Woohoo! Chapter 3! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, always love to hear how I'm doing!

* * *

Colette rolled over when a sharp bark woke her up again, her head unbelievably fuzzy. She heard the loud sound again but couldn't push herself up; everything felt too heavy. Her chest squeezed and her mouth tasted foul, all her limbs filled with lead. Every breath rattled in her chest and even though her lungs felt full, ribs expanded as far as they could go, she couldn't get enough air.

There was a growl from somewhere far beyond her brain before she felt strong hands capture her upper arms and hold her down. She didn't even realize she'd started to struggle and claw at her chest until she felt the stinging pain from the scratches. There was more rumbling interspersed with purring, a heavy weight across her abdomen keeping her still. She felt a sharp pain in her neck, almost a heavy handed pinch, before a cool numbness began to spread through her body, frightening if the icy tendrils hadn't been so welcome in the heat.

The next time she woke, it was on an uncomfortable metal slab, dim lights glaring down at her. Turning her head to the side, her body still too heavy, she looked around as best she could. She was in a small room, vials and sharp implements covering the shelves that were carved into the walls.

Guan-thwei stood with his back to her, muscles flexing as he manipulated an unseen object in front of him, a metallic hissing coming from some hidden thing in front of him. Colette swallowed, her throat oddly tight but her chest clearer. She tried to raise a hand, her fingernails scraping against the metal of the table. He turned, his long hair flaring slightly at the sudden noise.

Whatever he was working on was set down and he made his way over, large form bending close, strong fingers reaching for her neck. Colette made a small noise when he pressed down on something at her throat, metal biting into her skin. She tried to speak but her mouth was too dry.

He tilted his head at her, considering before he turned away from her and left the room, large form disappearing down the hall. Colette turned, trying to move but everything was so hot and heavy. She remembered passing out, or something, the cool numbness a welcome memory before the fear set in.

He'd injected her with a sedative of some sort and now she was laying on a table, her limbs too heavy and something on her neck. He said he needed her alive, needed her to testify, but maybe he was planning a little something on the side. She wondered if they even did that, considering humans were only prey to them.

He walked back into the room, a large metal cup in one hand. Colette watched him with wide eyes, every fearful option about the cup running through her head and quickening her breath. As he'd done the previous night, he began to purr at her, the deep rumble at once disturbing and arousing.

She blushed again, but the sound only put her more on edge, wondering what he was planning. His purring stopped, head tilted and eyes bright as he watched her. He came up beside her and slipped one hand underneath her head, tilting her up. Colette closed her lips against the cool liquid, feeling it dribble over her closed mouth and down her cheeks.

Guan-thwei barked at her, the sound muted slightly, as if he was trying to sound comforting and commanding. Colette tried to shake her head, but the movement pushed the cup against her lips and some of the water slipped through and spread cool relief through her mouth. Instinctually, her body craving the water, she swallowed more, opening her mouth.

He seemed satisfied and tilted the cup, removing it when she'd finished. Colette gasped, taking in as much air as she could, everything clearing up just a bit more. She choked and coughed, the sudden intake of air almost too much for her lungs that couldn't take the heavy atmosphere a mere day ago.

"What happened?" Colette gasped, her fingers twitching as her muscles jumped, trying to move her arm. Guan-thwei lowered her head, gently resting it against the table again before he moved off, setting the cup on a shelf.

When he came back, he pressed down on her chest, looking at her before he lifted the pressure. Colette frowned, shakily lifting her right hand and imitating his gesture, sweating with the effort of that one movement. He brought his hand up and touched her throat again, pressing down on the metal. She followed his movements, gasping when her fingertips hit a small metal ridge protruding from the skin of her throat.

"What is this," she asked, staring up at the ceiling, feeling around the slightly oblong object with her hand. It was small and flat, nearly pressed all the way into her skin and wrapped around the front of her throat. Guan-thwei chattered and touched his own chest, bringing her attention to him when he took a deep breath, exaggerating the pull of breath.

Colette did the same, breathing deep, again finding the air easily passing into her lungs. "I can breathe?" she questioned, swallowing. He nodded slowly, watching her. She suddenly felt ashamed at her fears, reminded yet again that he had done nothing to harm her, had actually saved her life, twice now.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't understand but needing to say it. He tilted his head, beads clacking. He growled again, shaking his head and Colette was starting to get the sense he was laughing at her. "How long until the drugs wear off?" she asked, feeling the weariness creep up on her again, her arm dropping heavily to her side. He raised two fingers, but she was too tired to start guessing. However long, she knew she welcomed the rest.

* * *

She woke up on her bed, the furs warm against her body and she turned over, snuggling into the comfortable material. Her breath no longer rasped in her chest and she revelled in the sensation, never realizing how frightening it could be to have such a simple act taken from her.

Colette pushed herself up with a groan, wondering how long she'd been out. Her head felt heavy and she was starving and thirsty again, so she pulled off her sweat soaked clothes and changed into something fresher, her clean clothes beginning to dwindle. She'd have to ask him about laundry.

Finding her way into the cargo hold, she pushed through the boxes until she found more packages of the jerky. Sitting on top of several crates were small bottles Colette had never seen before. She popped the top of one and sniffed, deciding it was water from the lack of any smell. Tipping it over, she swallowed some of the clear liquid.

Wandering through the halls, she chewed on the jerky, poking her head into the doors she supposed Guan-thwei had left open for her, hopefully indicating safe parts of the ship for her to explore. It was rather large, she decided, but she admittedly didn't have much experience with space ships.

She found herself in the cockpit again, empty this time. She wondered if he was sleeping, then wondered if he slept at all. It made sense he would, but not much about this situation made much sense. She settled into his chair, swivelling it as she stared up into the passing sky.

She was getting over the shock of the past few days, mostly just exhausted by the events and how often they replayed in her mind. She considered what she would say when they got to the other ship, wondering what would happen when she was freed. She figured she wasn't allowed to go back, didn't think she could with her new implant.

Stretching, her foot accidentally kicked over the water bottle. Cursing, she bent down, her long hair sweeping over her right shoulder. She absentmindedly brushed it behind her ear, raking her fingers back through her hair.

She grasped the water bottle and straightened up, crying out when she encountered Guan-thwei's face inches from her own. "Jesus!" she cried, pressing further into the seat, her hand coming up to her chest.

His brow pulled low, golden eyes bright as he chattered at her, his mandibles clicking. _Are you well?_

Colette nodded, swallowing the shock and laughing a little at herself. "Yeah, yeah I'm good," she replied before she froze, turning wide eyes to the alien beside her.

"You talk!" she accused, pointing at him. He growled, his head tilted to the side. _As do you,_ he pointed out, but she was too shocked to register the odd way his voice reverberated in her mind, a little staticky and stiff.

"No-well, yeah, but you talk," she said again, looking at him. "But you didn't before, why are you talking?"

He watched her with his golden eyes and reached forward, her eyes nervously darting between his reaching hand and his face. He touched the side of her head, just behind and below her ear, pressing slightly. She followed his touch, reaching back and tracing her hands over his larger fingers until she found another piece of metal embedded in her skin, her hair bristly and short around the new implant.

"You cut my hair," she accused, looking at him, feeling around the cool metal. "And-and put something…Oh, this is a translator!" she cried, touching it with renewed interest when she realized its purpose. It was a little nubby, receding into her flesh more than the breathing filter did. "How long was I out?" she asked, her head tilted a little to allow better access to the new implant, her lips pursing as she traced the small bit of metal that started just underneath her ear and stretching up to just behind it.

_The better part of the past day_, he replied, removing his hand, crouched in front of her. Colette nodded, licking her lips. "Is this to help with the trial?" He nodded, staring at her. She frowned back. "Did you really have to cut my hair?" she griped, scraping her fingernails through the shorn locks, wondering what she looked like. Thankfully it was low on her head and she hoped keeping her hair down would obscure the spot.

He nodded again, tilting his head, his own hair clacking around his body. Colette took a deep breath and expelled it on a sigh. "Why didn't you do this earlier?" she asked, still fingering the metal poking out of her head. His mandibles drew close, a deep rumble filling the small space.

_You were too weak and distrusting. To attempt invasive surgery in your state would have done nothing except kill you_. Colette's eyebrows shot up and her mouth formed a small 'o', thinking that if he'd even tried to explain what he wanted to do on that first night, she probably would have panicked and attacked him. Maybe that's what he meant.

"So can you answer my questions, now?" He tilted his head, mandibles clacking again. Taking his silence as assent, Colette continued. "At the College, you said you…spared me because I killed your friend, there." He growled, but let her continue. "I know you said it was through some honor code, but I still don't get why you need me to speak. I can certainly tell them my side of the story and corroborate your evidence but what will that accomplish?"

He sighed, turning away from her and walking to the other chair, sitting down heavily. She tried not to miss his reassuring presence, and the cockpit wasn't even that small, so she didn't think he'd like it if she scooted over to him, but it still felt cold and lonely.

_What happened at your school was a massacre. When we hunt, we only choose your fighters; anything else is an insult to the hunt. Those cowards were not my friends; I would not describe them as anything but the Bad Bloods they were. They chose your school because it was hot and they were looking for fun_. His hands had curled into fists, mandibles spread as his rage became more apparent the longer he spoke.

_The one you killed, he was the pup of our clan leader. She is old and very powerful, her line of daughters strong and just. Bakuub was her only male, reckless and cocky from the start. I received word one week ago that he and two others had started to amuse themselves with murder_. Colette shivered, remembering the way the large monster had taunted her.

_As Arbitrator, I may allow you to live, but unless the clan leader accepts your word or if you will not speak, you may still be hunted_. Colette frowned, not recognizing what he called himself. _An Arbitrator is one who upholds the law, making sure our Code is honoured by all and chasing down those who break it._ She nodded in understanding. ``So if they let me go, what do I do?"

Guan-thwei tilted his head, his long hair clacking. _You would not be able to resume your previous life, but you would be able to go back to Earth_. Colette breathed in relief, smiling slightly. "What about my implants?" she asked, touching the metal at her throat.

_Removed. You would have scars, but you would be alive_. Colette nodded. There was a small panic in the back of her mind, but she pushed it aside not wanting to think about an alternative where she wasn't let go.

They sat in silence, her knees drawn up to her chin as she stared out at the stars. His chair creaked as he leaned forward, claws tapping against the console. She wanted to let it go, sit still and enjoy the silence, but the panic was only settling deeper and she needed to find out. Making a small noise, she tried to speak, but the fear was pressing down on her too hard.

Taking a deep breath, she uncurled herself and slipped down from the chair, pushing her hair behind her ear again. Guan-thwei watched her pad over to him, golden eyes bright in the dim. She reached his chair and stood there, thankful for the warmth his body radiated. He leaned back, watching her and patiently waiting.

"What happens if they're not convinced?" she finally asked, watching him carefully. He tilted his head again, bright eyes studying her.

_You die._

Colette took a sharp breath, looking down and blowing it out. "Executed?" she clarified, her voice surprisingly strong.

_Through a hunt_, he confirmed.

"And there's nothing to stop it?" she asked, not looking at him but leaning against his chair, needing the support.

He was silent, his gaze turned away and staring out at the stars. Colette felt herself slump, the small hope fizzling. Drawing herself up after a moment of self-pity, she refused to let it defeat her. "Okay," she said, nodding, "looks like I'll have to be super convincing."

She turned to leave, but a warm hand grasped her wrist. _You must not lie_, Guan-thwei warned, his gaze back on her. She looked into his golden eyes and nodded, a lump forming in her throat. He was not handsome and hardly a good knight in shining armor, but he had saved her life and was trying to help her keep it. She didn't know what to call it, figured it was too soon to call it attraction but it had definitely moved past friendship, at least on her part. She raised a hand, watching him cautiously when he stilled, her fingers tracing the skin and hair over his brow.

"Thank you," she said, tilting her head in an unconscious imitation of him and trying not to cry. It was embarrassing but she suddenly realized he was the closest thing she had to anything in the world right now, and he could be the last person she saw or interacted with. She wanted to make whatever time she had count, even if that meant reaching out to the last person she thought she ever would. Nodding to herself, she swallowed and smiled. "Thank you," she said again before dropping her hand and leaving.

* * *

They were in an odd holding pattern, the next week settling them into a rhythm of sorts. She woke up to find him sitting in the cargo hold, chewing on jerky or dried fruit and sipping water from a cup. She'd join him and then they'd go their separate ways, he to the cockpit or his room, she wandering around until she got bored and tired in the heat.

She'd taken to wearing damp clothing through the ship, the air cooling the material for hours on end. She hadn't tried to find his room after that first night and he hadn't sought her out. Today, she found herself in the room she'd woken up in after her suffocation incident.

She sat on the table she'd lain on a week previous and stared around at the various instruments hung up or laid down on the tables, shelves and walls, sheets covering some tables. He was meticulous about order, she'd noticed, and wondered what would happen if she moved stuff around for fun. He'd probably yell at her and she'd piss herself at how scary he was and then they'd continue as they had been.

Colette sighed and rolled her eyes, bored. She shifted on the uncomfortable table, her pants squishing slightly. The trapped in space thing had been fun for the first few days, but without all the green-skinned alien girls Star Trek had promised, she found herself becoming increasingly indifferent to it.

She had a grey-skinned alien male, but she doubted he'd agree to anything, not sure if she would either. They had come to an understanding that night and since then things had been quiet, but he was still a hunter from a different race and she was still a human who'd gotten really lucky with a fire axe and despite her recent emotional turmoil, she didn't think she'd ever find anything about him attractive enough to become anything more.

She still didn't know what to say when she encountered the leader, the truth running around in her head so much that it had started to sound paltry and meaningless. This Bakuub guy had been the clan elder's son, or pup as Guan-thwei had said. She didn't know if Guan-thwei was typical for his kind, patient and deep-rooted in his honour, but she figured killing someone's kid wasn't a great way to introduce yourself to them, no matter their temperament.

She dropped her head in her hands, moaning. Every day that passed brought them closer to the clan ship and strengthened her panic. She asked Guan-thwei about his culture, but after the first two hours she still didn't understand much except that money was useless, dishonourable bargaining was a fighting offence, and the value of different bones. When she'd tried to move the subject along he'd growled something about good hunters and patience, two things she had no interest it.

So she had thanked him, squeezing a large forearm when she passed him by. She had no other options except to hope for the best. Sighing, she scratched at the hair growing out around the translator and hopped down from the table. Her stomach growled and Colette started out the door, making her way to the cargo hold.

* * *

"So when I see her, I bow, and when she turns to me I never meet her gaze. Okay, what happens if someone, what was it, challenges me?"

Colette had begun the cultural education again after four more days of sitting around and twiddling her thumbs, impatiently waiting for him to address the issues she needed him to. He'd finally gotten around to the important bits, growling at her every time she'd sigh when he'd start on another topic she had no interest in.

Guan-thwei shook his head, beads clacking in his long hair. _None will challenge you_, he assured, growling in amusement. Colette shrugged at his laughter. "I don't know," she retorted, "maybe they want to prove themselves and can't do it anywhere else." He growled again, lower this time, his golden eyes bright.

She'd discovered he had very little sense of humor, at least to her Earth sensibilities, and every time she cracked a joke he deemed inappropriate, he'd growl warningly. Colette always found amusement, as well as a secret excitement, in the deep sound, so she continuously provoked him. "Okay, no challenges," she conceded with relief, a small smile on her lips. "But are you sure there's no Plan B?" she asked again, biting her lip. She sighed in defeat when he looked away in silence but there hadn't been any real hope so the despair didn't last long.

"Right," she said before placing a hand on his forearm, drawing his attention. "It's okay," she assured him when she caught his golden gaze again, trying not to blush. "I'll just charm my way through and watch their jaws drop," she joked, the same one she'd used the past two times she'd asked.

_Remember: no lying_, he repeated. She nodded and removed her hand after a brief squeeze. "So, have there been other humans?" she asked after a moment. He nodded slowly, his mandibles drawing tight against his face in an expression she was starting to recognize as discomfort.

She waited in silence but when it became apparent he wouldn't speak, she nodded, looking away. "It's okay, I'm not sure I'd want to know anyway."

_They are not all unhappy stories,_ he said, drawing her attention, _but they are not for today_. Colette nodded again, smiling, an idea forming in her mind. "Fine, you won't tell me, but answer me this."

He tilted his head at her. "That video thing, do you have more recordings on it?" When he nodded, she continued, grinning. "Okay, like movies?" she asked. He tilted his head and growled, only partially in amusement.

_No,_ he replied, _those are a waste of time_. Colette slumped and grimaced, her upper lip pulling up, the first time she'd revealed her teeth to him in anything except amusement. He quickly caught her chin, pulling her face close. Colette squeaked and fell forward into him, catching herself on his bare chest, her small hands too pale against his dark skin.

_This face, you must not make it,_ he growled, his mandibles clacking against his teeth and interrupting his speech occasionally, his brow pulled low and mandibles clicking. Colette nodded, finding herself too close to him and not minding it at all. _Your teeth_, he continued,_ must never be bared._ Colette shook her head as best she could, her chin gripped painfully. "Okay, no teeth," she agreed quickly, her hands starting to slide up his chest.

He released her suddenly and she fell forward again, her support suddenly taken from her. Her fingers tightened and she nearly head butted him before his warm hands came up and grasped her shoulders, holding her still.

Colette swallowed, her own blue eyes staring into his golden ones. Up close, she could see the small scales that made up his skin and wanted to desperately touch them, or lick them.

She swallowed and pulled back, his hands releasing her. It had been fifteen days since he had brought her on board and her body was reminding her that it had been nearly a month since she'd felt any sort of intimate touch after nearly a year of celibacy forced on her by an impossible workload.

Her hands stayed on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of the warm body, trying not to react too strongly but unwilling to pull back.

"Um, so no teeth," she repeated, her voice unsteady. He had started purring again, something that never failed to make her hot and bothered. She wondered if he knew and wanted to be angry at the thought that he did. But if he knew what he did to her, then he was doing it deliberately and that was an arousing and hopeful though.

She leaned in and felt his hot breath on her face, his mandibles close to her lips and she chose that moment to close her eyes. She heard a low rumble, warm hands on her hips before she was being pushed back. She opened her eyes in shock, her hands leaving the warm body in front of her.

He was watching her, his golden eyes cautious again, breaths rumbling out of him. Colette swallowed and breathed deep, embarrassed and stunned at her own behaviour. "Oh God," she whispered, her hands going to her mouth. "I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say, wondering if similar shock and disgust was reflected in her eyes.

_This must not be_, he growled, staring down at her. Colette nodded and looked away, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I know," she agreed, shaking her head, "sorry. I don't even know why I, you know." He nodded but continued to watch her with cautious eyes.

"Um, so, this teeth thing, why's it bad?" She hoped he would continue where they'd left off, and after a tense moment, he did. Colette breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back and listening to him talk, trying not to analyze her hurt too much.

* * *

"You have 176 children?" Guan-thwei nodded, his head tilting at her shock. "As in, one seven six? How old are you?"

He rumbled, his golden eyes bright.

_Nearly eight hundred of your earth years_.

Colette felt her jaw drop but quickly closed it, drawing her lips tight over her teeth, hiding them. "Wait, what?"

_We live much longer than you humans_, he explained, his head tilting again. Colette watched him with narrowed eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "And the kids? Is that normal to have so many?"

He nodded again. _ Normal for one of my age, though not many live as long._ Colette tried not to grin. "So you're like some super-powered playboy, then?"

_My strength is superior to yours, but I do not play and am hardly a pup_. Colette cocked her head, slightly confused until she worked through his answer; the translator didn't seem to be capable of distinguishing the slight nuances that different emotions added to the voice. Tilting her head back, she laughed. "No no no," she said quickly, waving her hands through the air, "a playboy is someone who sleeps around, stringing woman along."

He tilted his head again, long hair brushing his body and nearly touching the crate he sat on. _Does he also have many children?_ Colette nodded slowly. "Sometimes, if he's not careful. A playboy never wants children to hinder his free lifestyle."

Guan-thwei nodded shortly, a rumble starting in his chest. _I have seen many of your males leave breeders with pups. I do not understand how they cannot take pride in their progeny._ Colette shrugged, her lips pursing to the side. "Some people are just really stupid. And besides, don't Yautja leave their kids with the mothers, too?"

Guan-thwei growled._ Females are better prepared for caring for children, holding them and growing them for one of your earth years_. Colette pulled a look, watching him with amusement and caution for any signs her next statement would be taken badly. "Or, you know, the males are just really lazy and hate diapers."

He laughed, actually threw his head back and laughed. Colette was so taken off guard, tense and ready to apologize that she leaned too far back from the loud odd clicking sound and fell off her crate. Heavy footsteps were muffled in the mist, and she was mildly disoriented, hitting her head on the ground.

_Are you injured?_ His face came through the mist, golden eyes bright in his dark face, upper mandibles spread in a grin. "Only everywhere," Colette answered with some embarrassment, her long hair fanning around her face. He stared down at her, reaching one hand down. She reached up, but hesitated before she took it, looking into his face. Her gaze slid away and she found herself suddenly very comfortable on the floor, lowering her hand. Guan-thwei rumbled down at her, pushing his hand forward again, giving her a rough hint.

"I need to know," she began, looking back to him, watching him carefully again. "What would have happened if I hadn't killed Bakuub? What if you had just found me huddled in a corner crying, or something?"

He drew his hand back, long hair swing over his shoulder as he straightened, his face disappearing out of the mist. Colette sighed and waited, knowing he would answer her if she was patient enough.

Laying on her back, though, made him seem very big, even as his feet shifted in the mist, boots stopping at a crate and turning, muscles flexing as he lowered himself. Colette pushed herself up and leaned back on the palms of her hands, ignoring the way the metal grating dug into her skin, trying for nonchalance.

_It is unwise to dwell on what could be. To focus too much on what if takes your gaze away from what is and that is a severe disadvantage to any hunter._ Colette nodded, following his foreign logic. "Okay, yeah, but I'm not a hunter," she pointed out. He still shook his head, long hair clacking, growling slightly. "It's eating away at me," she admitted, "all the 'what if's in that situation. Would you have killed me?"

He rumbled warningly, golden eyes flashing at her. _Had you been unarmed, no. If you had attacked me, yes._ Colette pursed her lips and looked away. "So you would have left me there and no other Yautja would have come down to make sure I didn't talk?" His mandibles pulled close to his mouth, all the answer Colette needed. "Right, and if I was still down there, I'd be pretty close to being dead right now, yeah?"

The subject was starting to depress her, shining a light on the glaringly obvious differences between them that her heart was trying very hard to push aside. "Why didn't you leave me there?" He tilted his head again, his expression closed off. "You could've shown them the video then gone on your merry way as they made their own decisions on it. You didn't have to do this, not that I'm saying I'm ungrateful, but why are you helping me?" He watched her as she spoke, her blue eyes carefully studying his own golden ones, trying to determine any change.

_For your honor_, he replied, but his golden gaze had turned hard, a look she had not seen since she trespassed into his room. She dropped the subject, knowing he would not humour her for much longer.

"Right, about that, too." Colette latched onto the worrying thought she'd finally got around to addressing. "Won't the boss lady be really pissed off I killed her son, even if he was, you know, bad blood? I mean, from what you described, it doesn't sound like anyone would appreciate their kid being killed by a human through a completely fatal accident."

_You took back your honor and will carry your trophy with pride_, he stated, watching her again. Colette frowned, leaning up and starting to stand. "Trophy? I don't have any trophy."

Guan-thwei rumbled and stood, reaching for her when she stumbled. She gratefully took his hand and steadied herself, pulling the damp cloth away from her skin before she followed him to the medical room, as she started calling it.

He strode over to a table covered with a sheet, pulling the heavy silver cloth off to reveal a large skull. Colette let out a little cry of surprise at the large gap in the bone of the forehead, brought back to the moment she felt the sickening thunk stop her fall.

"That's Bakuub?" Guan-thwei nodded, smoothing a hand over the skull and picking it up easily. He started forward, holding it out for her. Colette stared at the large bone, lights gleaming off of it. "Whoa, for me?" He nodded again, insistently holding it out.

_This is your honour and to hold it with pride proves you will not allow your fear to rule you. This will help convince them you are strong and will not reveal our secret; no matter the circumstances, all will understand this is your kill and your honour._ Colette pulled a small face but understood the importance of what he was telling her, reaching out with hesitant hands and accepting the heavy skull.

"So I have to carry this thing all the way through the trial? Can't I have a backpack or something?" He nodded, beads clacking. _We will have it on your back, held high to show all others of your kill._

"Yay," Colette declared half-heartedly, lifting the skull and placing it on a large table. "Take that, you bastard," she whispered, tracing her fingertips over the large gap she'd made, a swell of pride tightening her breath. She hadn't been able to save Amy, and her parents would never know, but she'd avenged her beautiful friend, the sick bastard's ugly face ruined.

The hollow eye sockets stared back at her and Colette turned away with a small shudder of disgust. Guan-thwei cocked his head at her, watching her and rumbling. Colette turned her gaze to his, caught in the warm gold, heat spreading through her body again. She wondered what Amy would have to say about this then figured the brunette would've been cheering at all the naughty thoughts running around her head.

Guan-thwei started purring again, her fingers slowly falling away from the shining bone and curling into her palm. Colette swallowed and looked up at him, trembling slightly, holding his gaze and wondering what was going on. He leaned in closer, slowly, dreads falling over his shoulder one by one as he lowered himself to her level.

Colette tilted her head slightly, reaching a hand up and placing it on his chest, curling her fingers and scratching his skin slightly. His breath huffed out of him on a growl, the sound both harsh and arousing. Colette felt her own breaths speed up, a tight heat curling out of her limbs and pooling in her abdomen, tightening her muscles.

When he got close enough, Colette raised her other hand, tracing over a twitching mandible. He stopped, his golden eyes closing, growls harsh and uneven as his muscles tensed. Before she could rethink this, before she could let him rethink this, she leaned in and, not quite knowing what she was going to do, licked up the flap of skin. He was soft, softer than she thought he'd be and she pressed herself closer to his warmth, fingernails digging into his skin, trying to keep him still.

Warm, large grasped her roughly and she finally let herself enjoy the sensation, convinced he was finally giving in. But he kept squeezing before she groaned and he pulled away, pushing her around and up against a table. "Ah, hey-," but her protest was cut off when he pressed her down, one large forearm against her upper back. He slid her up, her clothing pulling at her skin, her feet dangling from the ground as she was fully bent over.

He shifted his grip and held her down by the back of her neck, the cold metal pushing into her cheek, her teeth cutting into the skin of her mouth. Large, clawed hands scraped down her back, tearing her clothes and raking her skin. Colette winced and began to struggle, pushing against the table with her hands. "Stop," she managed, muffled with half her face pressed into the table.

_It is not kind or slow_, he began, pressing into her and Colette let out a strangled cry at the hardness she felt against her ass. His breathing was harsh, his hands flexing against her skin. _You will have to control this scent when you are around me, or others will take advantage in much harsher ways._ Colette swallowed, nodding and trying to hold back the tears. He released her suddenly, moving back as she lay on the table, catching her breath.

She heard him let out a rough breath before he turned her around, ignoring her flinch and pulling her up to sit on the table. She sat there, slumped and embarrassed as he purred at her, something she recognized as trying to be soothing. _You asked about other humans and you must now hear a story._ Colette nodded miserably, listening to him talk. He moved away from her, distancing himself she thought with a bit of petulance.

_There have been some, a rare few that had been accepted through hunts, a rarer few tolerated as pets_. Colette finally looked at him, her head snapping up in shock. _It is unacceptable to treat a pet as anything but a pet, however…_, he looked away his mandibles pulling against his mouth. Colette held her breath, waiting. _The scent human breeders have is stronger and sweeter than our females and many Unblooded or Youngblood have taken advantage, to varying degrees of fatal failure._

Colette's eyes widened. "They raped and killed them?" He nodded slowly, beads clacking, golden eyes watching her. _They killed them through rape_.

Colette looked at him, her mind running around the dirty thoughts even given the seriousness of the situation. Her gaze slid down to his loincloth then back up his impressive physique to his not at all amused gaze. "So, it's that…rough?" He nodded, and she swallowed. "And you can smell me?" He nodded again, rumbling deep and shifting his stance. "And others will smell me?" She flushed, biting her lip. "Huh, um… How powerful is the, you know, smell?" He growled and looked at her, eyes bright.

Colette thought about the past few weeks, about all the times she'd been around him, as aroused as she just had been and was deeply embarrassed. "So, every time, you could…" He tilted his head and nodded. "Wow, that's-uh, I don't really know how to…you know, not…smell?" She shrugged at him, her cheeks burning. He just walked over to her and patted her on the head with a sigh, a new gesture that made Colette feel very young.

_Distract yourself_, he advised before moving off, leaving her alone with her thoughts and trophy. Colette huffed at his retreating form. "Right, awesome."

* * *

  
Hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much to FancyLadySnackCakes! You are such an awesome support! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four, yay! I'm so happy for all the reviews and faves, thank you so much for checking out my story! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Colette watched the ship get closer, the massive floating piece of metal easily blocking out the view of everything else, even though they were probably still a full minute or so away from docking. "That's kinda big," she stated, staring at the massive ship. "Like, superbly so." Guan-thwei rumbled in warning beside her. _Release your fear_, he reminded her. _If you allow it to steal your strength they will not listen to you_.

Colette looked up at him, the past three weeks catching up to her and she gently placed a hand on his arm. He looked down, golden eyes regarding her cautiously. "This is it, big guy," she smiled up at him, careful to keep her lips closed, wondering how she smelled and mentally grimacing at that thought. He nodded and made an odd rumbling sound, beads clacking against the armour he'd donned, much more intricate than his others, a symbol of his rank he'd explained.

Colette fidgeted, trying to calm her breathing, but her mind kept running back to the impossible situation and quickly fading hope. Looking down, she finally released a breath, growling a little, eyes shut tight, willing all the negativity away.

Guan-thwei twitched, looking down at her with a warning rumble. She looked back up at him, breathing deep. "Sorry," she shrugged, scratching at her translator implant, "pressure was getting to me."

_Do not allow your emotions to rule you so freely_, he cautioned, scowling down at her. Colette just ran her hands through her hair and grimaced, tugging lightly at the strands. "Way I see it, this is gonna go down and whatever happens, happens. So," she said, a grin pulling at her lips, slight panic setting in, "thank you." He nodded shortly, his gaze returning to his clan ship. She tamped down on her fear as best she could, rolling her shoulders and loosening her muscles. He breathed beside her, just standing there and breathing, beads scraping against his armour every time his massive chest moved.

Colette bit her lip and looked at him, her glance bright with tears and expectation. Everything suddenly felt so final. Spontaneously, she threw her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his chest, his armour uncomfortable against her cheek. She felt his warm hands on her shoulders, solid and laying there and she was grateful for the comfort. She felt the small craft rock a little, a slight grating as they came up to the docking tube jutting out from the ship.

"Okay, okay okay okay," she chanted, pulling away, not looking at him, wiping at the moisture on her cheeks. "Let's do this."

He nodded, his head tilted in that familiar pose, making Colette smile. _Good luck,_ he rumbled, patting her head before turning away and walking down the hall. She followed after a moment, impossibly nervous but amazingly prepared. Or so she told herself.

* * *

She didn't account for her reaction to seeing an entire society made up of the creature she had faced down in the hall, the same one that had killed her friend and taunted Colette with her last moment of courage.

She tried to hold onto her own courage, walking behind Guan-thwei, his bulk easily blocking her view, but nothing could hide her from the hostile regard. The moment he stepped out of the passage with her trailing behind him, she'd been assaulted with the whispers and growls and clicks. She shifted the heavy skull on her back, trying to relieve the discomfort. Her duffel bag was slung over her shoulder and she held her shoebox awkwardly. She'd never felt so small until she stepped out of the passage, clasping all of her belongings like she was Little Orphan Annie.

No one stopped them, just hissing and speaking about her, gazing at the broken skull she carried. She wondered if they knew she could understand them and hoped they didn't from the things they were saying. She started a mantra in her head, a steady litany of 'breathe's and 'stay calm's, hoping that Guan-thwei had been exaggerating about how powerful her scent could be. Guan-thwei kept a steady pace, forcing Colette to jog slightly. The smaller ship had made him walk slower, but here he had free movement and she didn't know if he was taking advantage of it or was just proving his strength, but his strides were long and fast.

Colette looked around, curious despite her situation and hoped focussing on something other than where their path ended would keep her fear down. For a race that saw in heat vision, the art was exquisite, beautiful engravings and statues covering nearly every free space. She was careful to keep close to Guan-thwei, but she had to force herself away from some of the more intricate pieces, the detail and rendering absolutely breathtaking.

The clan ship was gigantic, a monolith describing and respecting a culture that had survived and dominated for thousands of years. Many smaller Yautja bowed their heads as Guan-thwei passed by, but their golden and green gazes glared at her, clacking and mutterings surrounding her like a clunky buzzing.

As they moved further into the ship, there were less and less of the milling Yautja, revealing guards standing by the decorated walls. Colette wondered if they guarded doors secreted like the ones on the small craft. She didn't dare speak terrified she'd say something stupid and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her chances of getting off the ship.

They finally reached two massive doors, wood she realized, an odd dichotomy to the gleaming and polished metal of the rest of the ship. Two large guards stood beside the doorway and Colette saw they were female, the first time she'd seen female Yautja. She had to suck her lips in, eyes going wide with the effort to not let her jaw drop.

They were huge, even compared to Guan-thwei's intimidating bulk, standing several feet above her companion. Long hair was dreaded and beaded like Guan-thwei's, but they had theirs held up in intricate knots, the dreads much thinner. Guan-thwei bowed to them and Colette did the same, although hers was much clumsier as she tried not to stare even as she felt the heavy gazes follow her past the opening doors.

She kept her gaze down, watching Guan-thwei's large feet stop after a moment, planting far apart. She risked looking up and had to bite her cheek very hard to not cry out. She was standing in what looked like an auditorium, stone benches arranged in a half circle where several females sat in the middle, the smaller males seated around the outside. There were about thirty of them in total, the largest and most scarred female seated in the centre, a large skull looming above her.

Colette tried not to shift when Guan-thwei moved aside, revealing her to the assembled Yautja. _You bring a small pet?_ one of the males asked, tilting his unmasked face down toward them. Guan-thwei shook his head, reaching up slowly and removing his mask with a hiss. He kept his head respectfully bowed, gaze averted. Colette tried to do the same, willing herself not to fidget.

_I bring the honoured one who carries Bakuub's disgraced skull as her trophy_. There was murmuring and clicking, the largest female, Bakuub's mother Colette supposed, leaning forward.

_This is a serious claim_, another female announced loudly, her gaze directed at Colette. She kept her head down, trying not to meet their gazes even as she watched the proceedings. She tried to focus on the pattern of the floor,sqirling divets cut into the stone, circling and playing around each other. She followed one until she encountered a disturbing dark greenish blotch marring the pattern, faded and rubbed at the edges. She wondered what usually happened at these trials, not wanting to find out. She brought her attention back to the assembled Yautja, thinking about her testimony a lot easier than thinking about her fate.

Guan-thwei took Bakuub's mask from his hip, striding forward and presenting it and his own to a large female guard who turned away with them. A moment later, the video of the slaughter opened up in the middle of the council. They watched in mostly silence, the occasional clicking interrupting the disturbing video.

Colette focussed on the video, swallowing her fear and trying to slow her breathing. She'd seen it before, had lived it and the memories had started to fade. Confronted with it surrounded by the large aliens made everything come back to her in the worst way and she felt even more determination to get away.

It ended as it had on the ship, with her screaming at Bakuub and Guan-thwei's large form appearing behind her. When it fizzed out, there was a heavy silence in the room, quickly replaced with Guan-thwei's perspective. Colette had never had a chance to watch the full video and she focussed on his point of view, hoping to distract herself from her surroundings. She watched him drop in through the roof entrance, forcing his way past a couple of students who were still alive, cowering. She swallowed, her breath quickening realizing there were others there, anger welling up inside her that this video would be used to determine whether they lived or not. She sincerely hoped they were left alone.

She watched him dispatch the first two monsters, a growling filling the room when one was caught in the middle of rape. He kept neither head, smashing the skulls with his wrist blades. After he killed each of them, he upturned a small vial, the contents showing up in infrared as black around the edges and bright green in the centre. The cooling bodies dissolved, the figures blackening and disappearing

She had never seen this, never experienced this view of the killings and the scale of the slaughter took her breath away. Only one person was stupid enough to attack, and Colette looked away, unable to witness the smaller red form killed and thrown to the side. Her image came up, standing in front of Bakuub, screaming at him. The video stilled at her small form sitting on top of the convulsing body and the growling and clacking started up again. Colette gripped the shoebox tightly, breath hitching when the cardboard creaked under the pressure. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm although she was pretty sure everyone in the room could hear her pounding heart.

_As Arbitrator, what do you say?_ The clan leader asked. Guan-thwei bowed his head to her. _Bakuub was declared Bad Blood, his actions disgraceful and dishonourable to his family. His death was justified and this Ooman retook her honour through it_.

The leader nodded slowly, long dreads grey, nearly white at the roots. Her hair was heavily decorated, feathers and small skulls in the intricate knots surrounding her aged face. _I accept your verdict. This Ooman, do you hold her as pet or does she seek a trial?_

Guan-thwei turned his gaze to Colette, who looked at him and hoped to hell they couldn't smell her fear and anger. She straightened under his regard, digging her fingernails into the cardboard box and he nodded. _She seeks the trial and I speak for her honour._ The leader nodded, leaning back into her chair.

_We will receive your trial in two of your Earth weeks_. Colette felt a small jolt when she realized she was being addressed and tried to remember what Guan-thwei had told her. Swallowing, she drew on all her strength and hoped to every God listening her voice wouldn't shake. "Thank you, honoured Elder," she said loudly, keeping her gaze down, trying not to tremble when the clicks and growls started in the auditorium again.

_Well trained, your Ooman_, the leader commented and Colette couldn't tell if she was amused or not, the translated words flat and staticky. They were dismissed with little ceremony, the entire thing less climactic and more horrifying than she'd thought and Colette wasn't quite sure what to do, her mind playing over the new images again and again. She followed Guan-thwei out, the large doors closing behind them as another Yautja passed through, nodding to Guan-thwei and clicking curiously at Colette.

They walked back through the milling Yautja, up stairs and past more detailed wall carvings and statues until they reached a long hallway, wooden doors set into the metal walls. There was no one else around, so Colette felt comfortable enough to speak. "What's with the wood?" she asked, her voice still hushed.

He rumbled at her and stopped at the third door to the left, opening it and gesturing her inside. She stood out in the hall though, staring at him, feeling sort of like a vampire. "I can come in?" she confirmed, not wanting a repeat of the incident on the ship. He nodded, chuffing a little.

This room was larger than the one on the ship, two tables and several chairs arranged in the space, a large pile of furs stacked in the corner, looking infinitely more comfortable than theones on the small craft. She noticed this room also had more skulls, several massive ones near the ceiling, his trophies taking up nearly two walls.

"You really do have some cool skulls," she said, turning to him and smiling, wondering how to address the new issues. He rumbled and patted her on the head again, hand sliding down her hair before he moved past her further into the room. _The wood is old, collected by Ancients before their final hunt and given to ones they deem just enough to be Arbitrators, a symbol of the everlasting life found in an honourable death and the strength needed to be fair to all creatures._

Colette was a little speechless, the symbolism honourable and romantic even to her. "Oh, well, that's cool." She looked around and decided the table was the safest place to put her belongings. She dropped the duffel on the floor and placed the shoebox and skull on the metal, fidgeting with her things until she found her courage. "Those students on the video, the ones that were alive, what will happen to them?"

Guan-thwei rumbled and sat down at a table, a large screen opening up into the air in front of him. "They're going to die, aren't they?" He finally turned to her, beads clacking as he tilted his head, golden gaze bright but cautious.

_If the Elders believe they will talk, yes_.

Colette nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear. "But it's been three weeks, nearly a month. Isn't there an expiry or something when it comes to, you know, when you can kill people?" It was a stupid thing to ask, but Colette was hoping for some sort of humanity. Which, she admitted, she was probably in the wrong place for.

He just shook his head, growling and she deflated slightly. "How can they know not to talk? It's not fair to force kids into those situations and kill them for being scared and curious. It's not like you told them not to talk and this is hardly covered in orientation."

_Many things are not fair_, Guan-thwei answered, turning away and to the screen, _but we must determine for ourselves what we will do with those things_.

Colette shook her head, the statement completely illogical considering the topic of discussion. "Okay, but put yourselves in their shoes for a sec, kay?" He growled, not turning to her. Colette just glared at his back. "Imagine you just got attacked by fucking monsters, you're stuck in a small space where you're being herded around and slaughtered. All your friends are dead, you're covered in blood and god knows what else and these things just suddenly leave, they're gone and there's nothing to explain what the hell happened." She was starting to get agitated, lowering her voice when he barked a warning at her. Taking a breath, she tried to appeal to his deep honour. "Wouldn't you want to avenge your friends' deaths? Wouldn't it be honourable to seek out the bastards that killed them and return the favour?"

Guan-thwei rumbled at her, and Colette flushed when she realized he was amused. _You demand honour and vengeance, but both have already happened_.

"Not for those poor bastards left at the school. They don't know you killed your friends. God, I don't know, I…" She trailed off, turned away from her large companion as the realization set in. She expected him to be the hero throughout her story, ride around and save the innocents as he had saved her. She had put him on a pedestal, ignored what he was completely and chose to see him through her own soft and idealized vision. She grew quiet, working through the thoughts in her head, angry and embarrassed that she'd let her romanticized notions of who he was rule her.

She didn't quite know what to do; everything she'd built him up to be still held true, but everything she'd wanted to ignore was piled back on there. Time and time again he'd proved his patience with her humanity, the emotional weaknesses his race as a whole despised were something he carefully weathered for her. She had convinced herself he was a monster, and when she'd been proven wrong, she'd convinced herself he was human. Somewhere, she'd refused to think of an in-between. She had been unfair to him, unfairly aroused by him when her image of who he was wasn't who he was at all.

She took a deep breath, flinching slightly when she heard his deep purr coming from behind her, completely caught up in her own thoughts she'd missed his getting up and walking to her. He placed a hand on her head, his touch warming her with his alien heat. Because that's what he was; an alien, and she'd forgotten to see that, easier to accept him as an oddly shaped human.

"Ah, yeah, sorry," she said, moving away from him, frowning. "Listen, is there, like, a guest room or something that I can stay in?" She felt stupid for asking to be away from her only protection in a society where she was prey, but he was the source of her turmoil and she needed distance to think.

He growled at her, brow pulled low, head tilted and she wanted to cry at what she had found so endearing then was still endearing now, but tainted by the thought that she couldn't accept him. _You shall sleep here_, he stated.

Colette shook her head, unable to look at him, a lump forming in her throat. "I can't, I'm sorry," her voice cracked slightly, her eyes rolling at her own uncontrollable emotions. "Ah, fuck, do you have a bathroom?" He nodded slowly, beads clacking and walked to a wall, pressing in and revealing a little room with a toilet and shower stall.

Colette nodded her thanks, squeezing past him as best she could. He stood there for a moment, watching her before he turned away, walking back into the room. When the door finally slid shut, Colette began to pull her clothes off, muffling her crying in the fabric of her t-shirt.

* * *

She sat in the shower stall, the hot water pouring over her, knees drawn to her chest. For the past however long she'd been in there, she'd been going over everything in her head, trying to see it without the rose coloured filter she'd seemingly attached to his every movement. Even if the kids did talk, there weren't any bodies and no one would believe them. She wondered if she could speak for them as well, then figured it would probably do more harm than good. She'd always been easily riled up by things she deemed blatantly unfair.

It was hard to accept things without compromise; to just see them as they are and deal with them instead of coming up with a way to be comfortable with them. She didn't know what to call the tightening in her chest every time she thought about Guan-thwei. Really, it had only been about a month since he'd saved her, but that time had seemed to drag on in the deadness of space; the blurred stars and unnatural silence had made it easy to lose herself to the situation.

She shifted again, her butt numb and thanked whatever deity was currently watching her little drama that the Yautja seemed to have an endless supply of warm water. Her toes and fingers had started to shrivel and she rubbed the rough skin together, thinking. He had spoken up for her in front of his leaders, called her an honoured one and vouched for her word with his own honour. She didn't know what that meant to them, didn't even know if that was just part of the ceremony of the entire thing.

She had trusted him, still trusted him but there was a bitterness to it now. Something had shifted while she was on the ship alone with him and it hadn't gone away, even throughout the trial and with the heavy knowledge that more people were going to die by these creatures. She wondered if she was really that desperate or if this was one of those adrenaline-fuelled life-or-death fuck moments. Her fingers squished together, soggy hair sticking to her back as she rested her chin on her drawn up knees.

The final possibility floated through her mind and into her body, settling heavy and hot in her chest. She, through some weird twist of sick fate, was falling for the alien on the other side of that door. The large creature that had ridden in as the proverbial knight still lived in her mind, but the reality of what he was and what he would continue to be crowded into her thoughts as well. He would not stop being a hunter and he would never apologize for his kills or trophies, everything done by his strict code of honour.

Could she live with that, she wondered. She wasn't a hunter, didn't know if she ever could be, but a part of her, a slowly growing part, wondered what it would be like to be away from everyone else for the rest of her life and fly around with her large companion. It admittedly wasn't an unpleasant thought, her mind filling in the blanks with graphic visuals of him striding around with large carcasses heaved over his shoulders.

Colette closed her eyes and snorted at her own imagination, his large form suddenly covered in plaid and denim, a furry lumberjack hat firmly over his dreads. Sighing, she tilted her face up into the spray, washing away the last remnants of her tears. Remembering her own words before they'd boarded the clan ship, _whatever happens, happens_, she stood and stepped out of the shower, the walls clunking as the water finally stopped flowing.

She walked out, towelling herself dry, the large linen dragging on the floor behind her. Guan-thwei was seated at his desk, staring at his trophy wall. She had no clue who he was, never asked him about his life beyond his culture and she had never offered anything of herself to him.

They were a race who believed in procreation but not monogamy, something that Colette wasn't willing to back down on, wondering if she was crazy for even considering this. She hadn't even considered if he was attracted to her, remembering his warnings on the ship.

Colette watched him as his head tilted slightly, purring a little but he didn't turn to her. "I'm good," she answered his unspoken question, tucking the damp linen around her like a toga, shifting as she tried to decide her best course of action. He nodded shortly, beads clacking, resuming his contemplation of his trophies.

Finally she walked over to his large form, laying a pale hand on his darker skin, her skin standing out against his erotically, but she stomped on the arousal, needing to understand the situation first. He turned to her, golden eyes cautious and bright. Uncomfortable and tired, she slid down until she sat on the floor, leaning against the side of his chair and looking up at the massive display of skulls. He growled softly and caught her upper arm, dragging her back up.

She watched him cautiously as he held her still for a moment, looking at her, his head tilted. She offered up a small smile, as much apology as she could give at the moment. He rumbled, shaking his head. _Only pets sit on the floor_.

Colette raised her brows. "Oh, uh, sorry." She gave him another small smile and leaned against the arm of his chair, turning to the trophy wall. His hand was still wrapped around her arm, his natural warmth chasing away the cold brought on by the damp linen.

"So, that guy," she said, pointing out an odd flaring skull, jaw split into four and spread wide, eye sockets crowded close together high on the brow, "what's up with him?" Guan-thwei rumbled for a moment, the same deep sound she'd heard when she'd accidentally trespassed and nearly apologized again. His hand left her arm, large fingers running through the damp strands of her hair that reached the middle of her back as he began to explain the stories behind his skulls. She smiled and leaned into the caress, listening to him brag.

* * *

"My father was-is a fireman. Well, was but he's living in Miami, now." She was sitting on the metal table the next day, watching Guan-thwei sharpen several weapons. She tilted her head as he leaned down, examining the length of a ceremonial sword, beautiful and intricate symbols carved along the edge of the blade. She had been watching him work, fascinated that he was able to focus so much on what she saw as a menial task. But every time he drew his thumb down a blade, rumbling in pleasure, she was reminded of her youth, sitting at a table and watching her teacher slowly and evenly create images on a blank piece of paper, the paint never blotching or wavering.

"My mum moved to Canada with her new husband about six years ago; this year was going to be my first Christmas without either of them. Guess it still is." Her chest tightened, thinking about her parents and wondering what would happen when no one found her body. As always, Guan-thwei had some sort of instinct about her emotions, or maybe she really was just that smelly. He purred comfortingly and she smiled at him, kicking her feet a little.

"Anyway, my long-term plans seem to have fallen through and seeing as how I just spent three years and thousands of dollars at College with no degree or proof of any education, I'd say food service industry is a good place to start when I get back." Guan-thwei rumbled, taking out a disc and flicking it open, the large blades extending. "Which reminds me," she began, he looking up cautiously at her careful tone. "You know when you vouched for my honour, and stuff," he nodded, "what happens if they don't believe me and I get sent to this hunt-execution thing?"

_You die_, he answered, brows pulled low as if it was the stupidest thing he'd heard. Colette huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, got that part. Not quite okay with it, but got it. I meant you, big guy." Something in him flared at the moniker, his golden gaze brightening before he looked away, mandibles drawn tight. _I kill you_.

Colette stopped and frowned, her eyes narrowing as the thoughts ran through her head. "But I thought it was through a hunt thing." He nodded slowly, putting down the large blade-disc and turning to her. _Yes, but it must be me who kills you. By declaring your honour and using my own as guarantee, if they find you dishonourable and unworthy of living, I must take back my honour by hunting and killing you._

Colette felt herself deflate, everything she'd just worked through pushed away by the glaring differences again. "Oh," she said, unable to think of anything else to say.

_You will not fail_, Guan-thwei declared, moving toward her. Colette looked up and bit her lip. "Okay, see its all good to say that, but what if? What happens if I kill you?" Guan-thwei rumbled in amusement, beads clacking as he shook his head. Colette narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, probably won't happen, but if I do?"

_Recall what I have already said about what if._

Colette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, taking away from a hunter's something or other, but seriously, if I kill you, do I live?" The thought was laughable, his biceps easily containing more muscle each than she had in her entire body.

He shook his head. _No. Killing me only proves that my own honour and strength were feeble; it says nothing about your own honour. Once it is decided, their verdict is final_.

"So damned if I do, damned if I don't. Perfect." He cocked his head at her, running his hand over her hair again. She looked up at him, blue eyes determined. "You may be the wrong person to ask, considering the circumstances, but can you teach me to fight?"

She'd expected him to laugh at her, tense and ready for the loud, growling sound but he only tilted his head, making that odd rumbling again. Golden eyes regarded her, played over her features and down her body until he met her blue eyes again.

Nodding, he turned away from her and reached for a small staff on one of the top shelves, turning to her and extending the spear with a flick of his wrist. She hopped off the table and reached out to take the weapon from him, only to find herself on the ground, one large foot stepping on her chest, spear tip at her throat. She expected him to be grinning at her weakness, his sense of humour odd, but he was staring down at her, golden eyes serious and hot.

_Lesson one: Assume nothing and prepare for everything_.

* * *

They continued like that for the next three days, or three of her days, she starting to keep time with how many times she slept. It was hard and bruising, her body not used to any sort of physical exercise beyond running across the quad when she was late for class. Every time she fell, he barked aggressively at her. The only time she'd shouted back at him, laying on the ground and nursing her self-pity, he'd made an odd hissing-growling sound at her. He'd planted himself above her and hauled her up, holding her above the ground and at his eye level.

_You survived while others died. You held a weapon while others cowered. You will not lie on the ground like a defeated insect._ Colette had stared at him, his resolve bolstering her own. Smiling, grimacing more like, she nodded, trying not to whine when he dropped her and she landed none too gently. He'd stalked away from her and crouched low again, she raising her spear as he'd shown her.

On the third day, she lay on the ground, winded and sweaty and exhausted. "Can we take a break?" she asked, pushing her hair out of her face. He growled at her, golden eyes narrowing. "I know that a hunter needs to be prepared, but can a hunter prepare by, you know, walking and stuff?" She crinkled her nose, staring at him hopefully.

He growled at her, mandibles flaring slightly. Colette sighed at his anger, reminding herself it was she who had initiated these little lessons, wanting to be as prepared as possible. Pushing herself up, she braced herself again, holding the spear down and waiting for his attack.

She lay on the bed after their sparring session, exhausted and determined, bruises covering her body. He sat behind her, rumbling quietly, patiently letting her use his body's natural warmth as a hot water bottle. He may have been a gung-ho feel-no-pain kung-fu asshole, but he seemed to understand her limits and, for whatever reason, tolerated her weaknesses when the lessons had to stop due to her massive whole body bruises. "How many more days until the trial?" she asked, yawning.

_Ten of your days_, he answered, stroking her hair. She didn't know why he did that, wondered if it was like petting a cat, a simple act to calm yourself, or the animal. "Huh, and how many of your days?"

_A little more than six_, he replied. She'd never fallen asleep with him, only once waking up and having found his large form laying behind her on the bed. The way he was rumbling though, it sounded quiet and tired and she wondered if he was preparing for bed as well. "Do you brush your teeth?" she asked, turning on her side and laying her head on his stomach, the position a little uncomfortable. She felt his dreads brush her skin as he moved his head, beads clacking.

_We have no need to; our mandibles can clean between our teeth._ Colette looked up at him, smiling tiredly. "Never have to waste trees for tooth picks, then?" He rumbled at her, shifting down on the bed.

Colette yawned and stretched, curling into the blankets. He slept on his back, about an inch of space between them. She desperately wanted to breech that tiny gap, roll over or scooch back until she was pressed against his warmth. But no matter what he might have said and no matter what he was helping her do, there were still boundaries. She may have started to crawl over them, little by little, but she didn't think he'd appreciate it if his charity case snuggled in her sleep.

She stared over the edge of the furs, her eyes heavy, drifting off to his steady rumbling.

* * *

Hope you liked! It's going to get a little more angsty, drama and sex the best way to deal Predators ;) As always, R&R is so very much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Yay! Chapter 5! Sorry about the wait, finals are coming up and it's been hard trying to find time to write. Thank you so much for the reviews and faves; you guys are so awesome! I hope you enjoy! And warning: smut at the end =3

* * *

The hall they were in was strictly reserved for Arbitrators, Guan-thwei had told her, and Colette had to admit the Ancient Yautja were kind of cool. They reminded her of the veteran firefighters she used to hang out with when she visited her father at the station. When he had walked into their common room, the only place he told her she could go if for some reason they were separated, he was greeted by loud rumbling and growling.

Colette had been passed along, each Yautja stopping Guan-thwei to speak to him and click at her. She had kept her gaze down as instructed, to the amusement of his comrades. None addressed her directly but she didn't feel any dangerous hostility coming from them. A little, considering what she was to them, but they mostly seemed indifferent to her presence. Several stopped and sniffed her, causing her to lean back a little, the snuffling sound just a little too predatory.

Guan-thwei had explained that the majority of Arbitrators were Ancients who had become bored with sport hunting but were not yet ready for their final hunt. As such, they were generally more patient and good-humored than the younger Yautja and tolerated Guan-thwei and his new companion. She was getting weirded out by the sniffing, though. They all seemed to be able to smell her, and a couple had leaned back, upper mandibles spread wide. Colette really wanted to punch them and wished to all hells she had deodorant. She wasn't a sweaty or smelly person usually, but humans were apparently thick with pheromones because their sense of smell was so terrible compared to the Yautja.

The one they were sitting with now had gray hair, not as progressed as the Elder Leader but old enough that Colette felt awed in his presence. One of his tusks was chipped and a tooth had been broken off; Colette wondered if they had dentures here, then had to bite her cheek to prevent the hysterical giggles from bubbling out of her.

_She is quiet,_ Thei-di Thwei commented. _Perhaps you have broken her_. Colette raised a brow, her lips twisting into a small smile, a small huff of laughter escaping._ She understands us, Mei'hswei. Too bad, it could be fun_. He reached out and poked her arm, his upper mandibles spread in an expression she recognized as a grin. She rolled her eyes, comfortable enough in his presence and safe in Guan-thwei's. They were in a corner, away from the others, and even though none of the Arbitrators were overtly hostile toward her, Thei-di Thwei seemed to tolerate her with much more humor, even finding amusement in her existence.

Colette had wanted to speak for the last hour, or however long it was, listening to them compare hunts and discuss pups and breeding. Seriously, it didn't matter how far she went, guys were guys, apparently; sports, kids, and sex. She smiled when they compared a female they had both mated, trying really hard not to snort when they started discussing the different bites and scratches she'd inflicted. She crushed a swell of annoyance and embarrassment, remembering her own advances and realizing how soft and weak they must have seemed. She wondered if he'd ever see her as a mateable female or if she'd ever be able to throw him around. Judging by their sparring sessions, probably not.

Guan-thwei growled at her, patting her on the head and Colette realized she'd started moping, and getting a little aroused. She looked up, biting her lip and apologizing, pushing her hands between her knees and curling in on herself. _She smells interesting_, Thei-di Thwei observed, looking down at her. Colette flushed, mortified and cursing the fact that humans seemed to friggin walk around surrounded by pheromones thick enough to crush an elephant. Guan-thwei rumbled, his friend looking on in amusement, head cocked to the side. _Keep her leash short,_ he advised, _Yeyinde's youngest missed the last season and his blood has been hot._

Colette frowned, trying not to let her fear get too strong. Guan-thwei nodded, beads clacking. Colette sat beside him and one of his dreads brushed her arm with the movement. She grimaced in embarrassment before she tried to school her features, but she had never been very good at hiding her feelings. Thei-di Thwei's upper mandibles flared and he growled at Guan-thwei, beads clacking as he shook his head. He barked something, but whatever it was didn't translate, probably a good thing by the way Guan-thwei stiffened beside her.

The elder rose and Colette looked up at him, his long body still powerful even given his advanced age. Guan-thwei stood as well and the two clasped each other's shoulder, rumbling and clicking. Looking at them, at the bulging muscles and ridiculously unnecessary arm wrestle they were now engaging in, she thought about an old Arnold Schwarzenegger skit from SNL. She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of her, eyes widening, biting the inside of her cheek when they both turned to her.

"Uh, sorry," she apologized, flushing and looking down, trying to calm her heart rate that had just ratcheted up. Thei-di Thwei lowered himself to her level, long hair brushing the table top as he clicked at her curiously. _So timid_, he rumbled_, what have you done to her?_ He reached a hand out and poked her in the head this time, pushing her just a little.

Guan-thwei growled, but Colette had looked up when he spoke and was now staring straight into golden eyes, slightly darker than Guan-thwei's. Her mind was screaming, her body in lockdown, every part of her playing Guan-thwei's warnings about eye contact over and over again. She had done it, though, and her backbone, smart most of the time, chose that moment to show itself. She held the dark gold gaze, ignoring Guan-thwei's growls and her own screaming mind.

"He hasn't done anything," she said, her voice trembling despite all the strength she was trying to portray. She didn't know if she was saying the right thing, but Thei-di Thwei had stopped rumbling, mandibles clicking. "He has kept his word and actions honourable," she announced slowly, keeping his gaze, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. Thei-di Thwei tilted his head, watching her, judging her. Finally he leaned up and clapped Guan-thwei on the back. _She speaks for you,_ he announced, his mandibles clicking against his teeth. _Perhaps you are not completely lost._ He then turned away, laughing in that loud odd way of theirs.

Guan-thwei tilted his head in her direction, his golden gaze bright. Colette shrugged and deflated, pretty sure her terror was strong and smelly and wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. When Guan-thwei nodded and gestured at her to stand, though, his hand brushing over her hair, she felt her mental win pile get a little bigger.

* * *

After that, Thei-di Thwei joined them constantly, Arbitrators apparently really boring as they got older, commenting on her long naps whenever she retreated to sleep. She figured another four or five of her days had passed, which, if her math was okay, which it certainly wasn't, meant that three or so of their days had passed. Guan-thwei joined her only once more, the odd hours meaning she was usually awake when he fell asleep. He had slid behind her, patting her hair and keeping that God-awful distance. She'd woken up before him, not surprisingly, but without anywhere she needed to be, decided to wait for him, which usually never took long.

She stretched and slid off the bed, shaking her hair out and yawning. He remained sleeping, his breath growling out of him on each exhale, mandibles slack but twitching every so often. Colette grinned and wondered what one of these guys would sound like if they started snoring. She would've given anything for a watch at that moment, sitting around waiting for him to wake up. She fell asleep sitting at his small table, tracing random patterns on her trophy skull with the pads of her fingers.

He'd woken her with an amused clicking, large hand grasping her by the back of the neck and shaking. Her back was sore from falling asleep sitting down and her head was groggy from the too long nap.

"Ah God," she moaned, laying her head back on the table. "Seriously, how long is one of your days compared to mine?"

He tilted his head at her, beads clacking as he considered the question. _42 of your Earth hours long_. Colette frowned, staring hard at the broken skull as she worked through the math in her head. "So nearly two of our days? Wow, no wonder Thay-dee whatever keeps making fun of me for sleeping." She shook her head, grinning at him. "Do you guys have to be better than us at everything?"

Guan-thwei only shook his head, growling. "Yeah, thought so," Colette sighed, sliding off the chair and stretching.

When they'd joined Thei-di Thwei, her stretching out her back and cursing, sandaled feet slapping against the metal floor, the elder had laughed, questioning Guan-thwei's chivalry when his pet slept at a table.

Colette didn't like the term, and neither did Guan-thwei, if the way he growled was any indication. Honestly, even though, he growled at the name, the way he stroked her hair wasn't making her feel good about his defence. He never actually said anything, so she wondered if he was merely taking offense to someone else calling her a pet, the term holding true enough in his own mind.

_Accompany me to the market_, Thei-di Thwei asked this time, his dark gold gaze looking between the two. Colette looked up at Guan-thwei and shrugged, comfortable enough in the elder's presence to not fear him as much. Guan-thwei tilted his gaze down at her and nodded to his companion. They both turned and Colette found herself sandwiched between the two, protected by massive amounts of impressive muscle.

She would have found it difficult to concentrate on distracting herself if distracting herself hadn't been so easy. Every statue or carving they passed, she placed a hand on Guan-thwei's arm, gently letting him know she wanted to stop. He would turn to her every time, growling softly but stopping and standing guard. The first few times, Thei-di Thwei had rumbled, his mandibles clacking. After the fourth statue, he just stood with Guan-thwei, rumbling at anyone curious enough to stop. The elder seemed to take great interest in how much care and attention she paid to the art, rumbling and poking her when she took too long. Whenever Guan-thwei growled at him, Thei-di Thwei would chatter back, hair swinging when he shook his head.

Colette never minded, the elder's amusement a refreshing change from the usual indifference and hostility she felt around the clan ship. So while the two stood watch, she got to study the detail and care given to each piece. She found that feathers and fur were actually rendered with each hair and follicle and wondered at how a race that had no time for humor or distraction could create such beautiful art.

Each one was different, sometimes amazingly so. No two were done by the same artist, some featuring realism and others a Picasso-esque brokenness. Colette was puzzled at the variety of interpretation, surprised that such beauty and free-movement could be found in such a strictly regimented society. After the seventh statue, this one depicting a realistic large female crouched low, a human skull held above her head, the rock beneath her complete with moss and grass, Colette let her curiousity get the better of her. "Who did these?" she asked, fingers hovering over the stone, careful to not touch.

_They have been made by other cultures, celebrating the lives of hunters they knew. _ Colette looked at Thei-di Thwei in surprise. "Other cultures? So, other aliens made these for you?" The elder nodded, gray hair clacking, his gaze focussed on the statue. _Occasionally a hunter will gain another race's trust, through some fashion or another. Sometimes, they do something that immortalizes them_. Colette looked at the statue again, studying the strong definition, each muscle perfectly and subtly rendered. The female's face was twisted in triumph, mandibles flared and brow raised, her macabre trophy disturbingly dead looking.

"I honestly didn't think art would have a place here," she admitted, tilting her head to study some small cuts the female had on her arm, the artist amazingly skilled enough to show the jagged edges of the torn skin. _An artist must practice the same patience and skill as a warrior, choosing where to place strokes and carve stone as a hunter chooses prey and weapon. A true work of art is a reflection of how the artist sees the subject. _She was surprised at the eloquence of his explanation and wondered if he studied the human language. She bit her lip as the next question rose out of her mind, a bad one to ask, probably. "Do you hunt all races?"

_Only those we deem worthy_, Thei-di Thwei answered patiently. Colette nodded, thankful that he had humoured her. She didn't ask anything else, all line of questioning eventually leading to the uncomfortable topic of what she was to them and she didn't want to bring that up surrounded by the massive aliens. She turned and bowed to him in thanks, he rumbling in amusement and patting her on the head, a rougher, more condescending act than Guan-thwei's. She chalked it up to age.

* * *

The market was busy, Yautja milling everywhere and Guan-thwei and Thei-di Thwei moved their positions, Thei-di Thwei walking in front of her and Guan-thwei watching her back. No one was stupid enough to challenge them, Arbitrators second only to the Ancients on the council. There were many who hissed at her though, ugly faces scowling, gazes heavy and judgemental; surprisingly, even more merely sniffed and clicked at her curiously. She wondered what she smelled like.

Colette started a steady string of comforting words in her head, distracting herself and trying to focus on the market stalls instead of the Yautja that were threatening and unsettling her. Guan-thwei and Thei-di Thwei walked through the crowd, their strides easy and loose, knowing none would be stupid enough to try anything. She tried to think like that, too, starting to imagine what Guan-thwei would do to anyone who challenged him or attacked her. Thei-di Thwei stopped at a large stall featuring weapons and began to barter with the male Yautja looming behind the wooden shelves, the shop keep's gaze flicking over her before giving his full attention to the Arbitrator.

Colette looked around, trying to ignore the looks she was getting and noticed that most of the Yautja milling around in the marketplace, and all of them behind the stalls, were male. She wondered if that was another part of their society, the males providing everything from trophies and food to goods and services.

Kinda sexist, she figured, but another small part of her, the feminist part instilled by three years of college, cheered at the thought of a female dominated society, even if they were aliens who killed humans for shits and gigs. She was pretty sure her scent had changed again when several of the Yautja stared at her, but she was quietly revelling in her feminist cheerleading and so ignored them for the time being. Guan-thwei stepped closer to her, growling in warning, his warm body a comforting presence. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her attraction, but her libido had been at full power for the past few days, so she could only hope that no one would notice.

The hope was shot to shit when one smaller male was stupid enough, and apparently drawn enough, to lean into her, mandibles twitching slightly. Guan-thwei hissed and stepped closer to her, his mandibles clicking. Thei-di Thwei stopped and turned to them, his dark gold gaze pinning the younger Yautja. Colette swallowed, the attraction replaced by fear. Several smaller Yautja began to crowd them, apparently the human scent strong enough that they were willing to disturb Arbitrators.

Guan-thwei barked at them, ordering them back. Thei-di Thwei thanked the shop keep before he gestured for Colette and Guan-thwei to start moving, his large form close in front of Colette, the two Arbitrators now acting as body guards. They turned and began to leave the market, barking and hissing at any who would not move. Colette felt immensely guilty and embarrassed at having cut their excursion short, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands.

When they got back to the Arbitrator's hall, Thei-di Thwei rumbled and caught Guan-thwei's shoulder. The elder held him there for a moment, rumbling something. Her blood was rushing in her head, though, drowning out most sounds in her embarrassment. She wandered into Guan-thwei's quarters, figuring he'd catch up and give her another lecture, which she thought was kind of unfair considering her scent glands weren't exactly something she could control.

When he walked in, his golden gaze troubled, she started apologizing, feeling a hot lump block her throat and wondered why the hell she was so emotional. He just sighed and patted her head, playing with the golden strands for a moment.

_Distract yourself at the trial, _he said, sitting at his console again. Colette nodded, trying to fight the arousal down but each time she thought she had a good hold of it, it would flare up again. She grimaced, thinking about why the hell she was so horny and moody until the math struck her.

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, lips pursing in thought as she counted on her fingers. She figured she missed the last one because of the stress, never having been that regular in the first place. If she were pregnant, Guan-thwei would have told her, remembering what he said about child-bearers, as he called them. Her eyes widened as a large red 'X' loomed in her mind and she looked toward her duffel, hoping that tampons had magically appeared while she had been running through space.

"Um, hey," she called, getting his attention. He tilted his head, golden gaze slanted toward her, everything about him cautious and uneasy. She shifted, not familiar with this mood but needing to speak to him. "Your biology," she hesitated, embarrassed at having this conversation with a guy she was attracted to, never mind that he was an alien. She stopped, looking away and biting her lip, wondering how best to discuss this. "Your…females, when they're, you know, about…or, um, if they get in heat," she blushed at the term, bringing up all sorts of naughty thoughts, "and don't do any, you know, things, what happens to their, um, stuff."

She pointed in the general area of her stomach and pelvis, flushing, her explanation clumsy at best. He tilted his head, upper mandibles spread slightly, gaze once again bright. "Okay, glad you're in a good mood, but seriously. Unless it's normal for something to bleed all over the floor at a trial," she paused and wondered if it was normal, remembering the green stains and considering the circumstances but pushed the thought aside. "Do you have anything for…you know, periods?" She finished with a slight grimace, scrunching her nose up, hoping he wasn't like human guys about these things but she had no other options, unless she really wanted to die of embarrassment. Plus, she kind of figured old rules didn't apply anymore.

Gun-thwei nodded slowly, rumbling. Colette didn't know if he was finding amusement in the situation or the topic of discussion, but she didn't care. _Our females absorb the lining back into their own bodies_.

Colette stared at him, momentarily speechless at how unhelpful that statement was. "Oh, okay. And the, you know, egg-thing?" He rumbled again, beads clacking when he shook his head. _Yautja females only release eggs when bitten, males secreting a pheromone right before mating that lets the female body know it will be impregnated._ Colette nodded once, shortly. ``Ah, and this helps me how?`` Guan-thwei rumbled, walking over to her.

_We will seek the doctor; he may know what can be done. Is it an emergency?_ She shook her head, "Not yet. Probably got a couple of days, but I`m PMS-ing something fierce." He tilted his head at her, unfamiliar with the term, and she was about to explain, reaching for the hand he offered when he stopped, leaning into her. Colette tilted her head and blinked, caught off guard by the strange action, similar to what had happened in the market. He was breathing deep, his breaths leaving him on a rumble, his golden gaze bright and hot again. Her mouth opened slightly, breath quickening when she recognized the look and behaviour from back on the ship.

"Um, should probably see the doctor guy," she advised breathlessly, watching him. Guan-thwei tilted his head before he began to sniff the air, moving closer to her. She leaned back slightly, remembering his actions from last time, but he seemed calmer, more in control this time.

_You cannot smell like this_, he rumbled, his mandibles brushing the side of her face, breath hot against her cheek and ear. Colette swallowed and laughed nervously, keeping her hands firmly to herself, gripping the sides of the chair. "Can`t quite help it, big guy," she said shakily, tilting her head slightly, unintentionally revealing her neck. His breath ghosted against her skin, warm and damp and she realized she was really damn horny, her body at its mating peak.

Swallowing past the thickness in her throat, she relaxed her in her seat, raising one hand up and experimentally raked her fingernails down the skin of his neck. He growled, his hands finding her hips and pulling her forward, his mandibles and tusks scraping the skin of her jaw. Colette breathed out shakily, all the stress and arousal of the last few days finally finding an outlet and she really needed to let it out. Even if that meant rough sex with an alien, which, if she`d been in her right mind, she`d acknowledge as the weirdest thought she`d ever had.

Raising her other hand, she grasped his hair, pulling on a thick dread and tugging his head back. He snarled right by her ear, the sound primitive and so hot. Colette smirked and leaned forward, biting the skin between his mandibles, eliciting a sharp hiss, his claws digging into her hips.

She moaned when he traced one hand up, large and warm, cupping her breast through the fabric and kneading roughly. She was sensitive, every part of her body lit up and screaming at her to mate, the ages old need to procreate rearing its head during her ripest time, her pheromones strong and sweet.

"Please," she moaned, licking at the skin she`d barely bruised, digging her nails into the side of his neck and scratching harder. He growled again, deep and arousing before he lifted her up easily, her smaller body unceremoniously dumped onto the bed. Colette watched him, her breath coming out heavy and hot, skin tight. He looked down at her, his own chest heaving, golden eyes bright. Colette tilted her head down just a bit, staring up at him through her lashes, forgetting that particular position was a sign of submission.

Her gaze played over his body, the intricate armour and loincloth he wore around the clan ship doing nothing to hide his musculature. He was dark grey-black everywhere except his face, the upper part of his chest and inside his upper thighs. Thick corded muscle covered his body, barely contained energy flexing underneath his thick skin. Golden eyes pierced her, heated and sharp, his brow lowered and hair bristling. He was, oddly enough, what every woman was told to want; a strong, just man who rode in at the right time and scooped them away from the evil dragons. She wondered how he saw her, figured it mustn't be too bad if he was still standing there.

Sitting up on her knees, she pulled her shirt up and off, her pale breasts flushed with arousal. Licking her lips, she decided to take the initiative, never able to give him completely what he would get with a female of his kind, but she could definitely give him something new.

Crawling across the furs, making sure to stay low, she smiled at him, reaching for his loincloth. She had no clue how strong her scent was but figured what with the timing and the arousal that had steadily been building up for the past couple of weeks, she must have been sending out a freight train of pheromones.

He rumbled, reaching up and removing the top part of his armour staring down at her as the metal clanked when it hit the floor. Colette tugged at his loin cloth, but he started crawling onto the bed with her, immediately dominating her crouching form. Colette raised herself up on her knees just as he lowered himself down, his mandibles brushing against the skin of her neck before she felt a sharp pain, almost like needles piercing her skin.

He bit her, she realized, crying out. But the way he was purring, the way he smelled now that she was pressed up against him was intoxicating; a masculine mix of musk and salt. He had asserted his dominance, let her body know what was going to happen and Colette didn't think she could ever be this turned on by a human. She felt herself get wet, the crotch of her jeans rubbing against her sex roughly. He growled, hands going to her pants and he easily ripped the material apart, denim giving away with a violent sound. Colette moaned and scraped her fingernails up his thigh, feeling him tense and growl when she tugged on the metal loincloth again.

He released her, his mouth red with her blood, something that should have nauseated and horrified her but instead just added a fierce possessiveness to the entire situation, her body begging for him. He quickly undid the loincloth, throwing it aside and allowing her to push him back. She tried to maintain her composure, smirking at him when her cool fingers started to caress his cock from the base, drawing a strangled growl from him.

When she kept caressing, however, she looked down with a slightly furrowed brow, her eyes widening and jaw dropping, She realized she had possibly bitten off more than she could chew, literally, taking in the long, ridged cock, her hand barely wrapping around him. She had started this, however, and when he started to growl in impatience she smirked; damned if she'd be chased away now. The big bad hunter was waiting for her and she licked her lips, grinning wickedly.

Leaning down, she locked his gaze with her own, opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out, licking up his length until she got to the base, delivering a little nip at the softer skin there.

He rumbled loudly, head tilting back and beads clacking. There was no way she`d be able to fit him all into her mouth, but she moved down to the tip, licking at the thick liquid oozing from the hole, fisting the rest of him, He rumbled, almost groaning as she finally fit her lips over the head, teeth grazing just slightly. She moaned, his musk filling her senses, licking as much of him as she could fit into her mouth. She wasn't a virgin and had her share of sexual experiences, but as she pulled back, laving her tongue on the underside of his cock, she hoped they could somehow make this go slow.

His hands settled on her shoulders when she began to suck, claws digging into the skin, upsetting the bite wound he`d given her. She fisted his length with both hands, moving her head as best she could, feeling him pulse and wondering if this was even possible, his cock twitching almost painfully in her mouth. He growled and tried to push deeper, but she quickly moved off, releasing him with a slight popping sound. A string of saliva and semen stretched between them, her pink tongue darting out and licking the salty, oddly sweet liquid.

The hands at her shoulders roughly pushed her down and she huffed in surprise, hitting the bed hard. He covered her body with his own, breathing roughly, heavy length pressing against her thigh. She whined beneath him and pushed against his stomach with her hips, spreading her legs. She could feel how wet she was, the hot liquid smeared on her inner thighs. He purred, feeling her press her core against him, the wetness slick against his muscles. He reached down and felt between her lips, rubbing at her clit when she arched and moaned into the contact. He rumbled at her pleasure, bending his head, beads scraping her heated skin. One of his upper mandibles scraped over her nipple, forcing a choked moan from her before it was replaced by hot breath and a wet tongue.

She cried out, reaching up and gripping his large biceps as he teased her. His large body held hers down, his higher body temperature nearly intolerable. When she scraped her nails down his arm, reaching between her legs and pushing against his finger, he rumbled and clacked, his dreads dragging over her skin as he raised his face back up to her neck. She felt his mandibles scrape against her cheek, lower tusks catching on the skin and tugging pleasantly. She felt herself get closer, felt his fingertip tease at her clit and entrance, sliding easily through her wetness, her own fingers guiding him.

He growled, finally pressing a large finger at her entrance. "God, yes," Colette cried, her eyes shooting open, fingernails digging into his biceps as he pushed into her. She was starting to whine, feeling him prepare her, his hot breath growling into her ear and against her neck. She lifted herself up slightly, tilting her head and bit him on his shoulder hard, feeling his finger reflexively push deeper into her. She finally felt herself tumbling over the edge, moaning around his hard muscle. He made an odd choked sound, feeling her spasm around his finger, her teeth cutting into his skin. She pushed into the contact, lifting her hips and trying to get more stimulation, her body officially in mating mode.

He rumbled, golden eyes flashing as her body tightened around him. She felt another finger probe at her entrance, whimpering when he withdrew, slowly stretching her with two, his thick fingers almost too much for her. She didn't know how she would take him when it finally came to it, but she didn't care, his warmth and fingers so good inside her.

She felt him push harder, crying out at the friction, his rougher skin perfect inside her. "Ah, Guan, huh, thwei! Please!" She begged, nearly crying as he finally pushed his fingers fully into her, stretching her so right. He held still, one hand on her chest, holding her down while the other twitched inside of her. Colette moved her legs, drawing them up past his hips, pressing down on his lower back with her heels.

She writhed underneath him when he began to pump his fingers into her, moving them slowly, allowing her body to adjust. She moaned and whimpered, reaching down and squeezing her breasts, pinching her nipples. He rumbled, shifting slightly and raising his hand to fondle her other breast. Colette arched, moaning, her thighs tightening around his hips.

Suddenly he growled, a harsh deep sound that sent thrills down Colette's spine. She looked up at him, her blue eyes dark with lust, skin glistening with sweat.

He rumbled, sitting up abruptly. She groaned and looked up at him, his fingers still twitching inside of her. She tried to push against him, but he pulled out, his muscles tense and looking like he was trying to control himself.

"If you stop now," Colette warned, looking up at him, "I am going to find a way to pin you down and fuck you senseless." His golden gaze flared, mandibles twitching as he lunged for her, grasping her hips and turning her over, pulling her to her hands and knees. Colette braced herself, lowering her head and shuddering, so turned on every caress of air against her heated skin sent her closer to another orgasm.

_If I start now, I will not stop_, he gave his own warning, voice strained and harsh, one large hand gripping her hip while the other lined himself up. Colette looked over her shoulder at him and, before she could rethink her words, forgetting the deep seated honour and courage they lived by, she taunted him.

"Scared?"

That was all it took, his breathing rough as he began to push in. Colette gasped, the sound a little strangled by the sudden and painful intrusion. He stopped, his hand tightening on her hip as he held himself still. Colette whined a little, shifting and spreading her legs as she became used to the size. Looking over her shoulder, she took in his expression of concentration, the hand guiding his cock in now stroking along her lower back.

She nodded, turning away when his golden eyes flared and he pulled out before thrusting back in, actually pushing her across the furs, stretching her so deliciously. Colette cried out, his ridges pressing against all the right places, his size bordering on too much but absolutely perfect to the hormones running through her body.

Moaning when he pushed in a third time, filling her up but not hilting, his claws digging into her skin, Colette pushed back slightly, feeling his hands twitch before he leaned down, long dreads falling over her skin and tickling her slightly, his beads scraping her. His weight shifted, his cock pulsing inside her before he pushed in again, his hips finally pressing against her ass.

Colette threw her head back and cried out, his hot length unbelievably large and perfect inside her. His mandibles brushed her face and she felt the needle-sharp pain again, his teeth digging into her skin before he began to thrust.

It was slow at first, pushing into and pulling out of her, agonizing pleasure shooting up her spine as he rubbed her in all the right places. She cried out, his heavy testicles brushing her engorged clit with each inward stroke. His large hands flexed on her hips, breath and saliva hot against her shoulder. He was making an odd rumbling sound, snorting a little as he held back, each thrust just as slow and even as the last, strong hands digging into her hips. It didn't take long, his size stretching her so well before her second orgasm rushed over her, her back arching, head thrown back as her body convulsed around him, tightening almost painfully. He growled into her skin, a choked muffled sound before he started a nearly brutal pace.

He replaced slow and deep with fast and shallow, his hips slamming into hers, arm reaching around her waist and holding her against his onslaught. Colette felt her entire body jar with each thrust, his muscles tense as he growled around her skin, other hand reaching around the front of her chest, gripping her shoulder.

He had her effectively pinned against him, his powerful body flexing and moving within her. She cried out when he squeezed her, lifting her upper body off the bed and to her knees. The new position allowed him to push deeper, his arms tightening around her as she gasped with each thrust, her head falling back against his chest.

His hand released her shoulder and cupped a breast, roughly rubbing her peaked nipple, his scales catching at her skin in the best way. She was splayed on top of him, at the mercy of the powerful creature she was falling for, his body sliding against hers perfectly. She felt another orgasm rushing up to her, her hands futilely grasping at the large forearm holding her to the powerful chest, fingers digging into the hot skin.

She lowered one hand, scraping down her stomach and over the flexing muscles of his forearm, reaching between her legs and rubbing her swollen clit, nearly sobbing with the need for release. He growled, starting to get louder, his grip bruising her as he raced toward his own climax, cock hardening even more. Her third orgasm took her over, her body held by his powerful grip, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes as she shook with the power of it. She wasn't sure how much more she could take, her body stretched and sore, the pleasure so peaked it bordered on painful.

He snarled into her skin, his arm around her abdomen sliding away, teeth releasing her abused flesh. She found herself roughly pushed onto all fours again, his hands at her hips, lifting her. He'd raised her bottom half off the bed, tilting her down, neck bent at an awkward angle as his thrusts became more erratic. He rumbled and finally howled, long and loud as he found his release, hot come pumping into her body and flowing out of her and down her thigh. She gasped into the mangled furs when he held her there, growling and purring, his claws digging painfully into her skin.

He let her down gently, her body protesting even as the lethargy took over her limbs. She stretched, trying not to wince, the soreness actually quite arousing considering how it was caused. She turned over, grinning up at Guan-thwei who knelt over her, breathing hard. He tilted his head at her, his gaze bright but guarded, something about his body language unsettling her. She remembered what he had said on the ship and wondered if this was only a passion-fuelled frenzy brought on by her scent that he was now regretting.

Biting her lip, she waited for him to make a decision, his breathing rough and harsh in the sudden quiet. She held his gaze, starting to get more and more anxious, wondering if they had just crossed a really, really big line; she was prey to his race, and she realized what they just did might have been considered bestiality. Finally she couldn't take any more, needing to take the decision away from him before he reconsidered this.

She raised a hand, palm up, indicating he should lie with her. He hesitated for a moment, rumbling in his chest. "What's wrong?" she asked, starting to sit up and tamping down the panic building in her. What wasn't wrong was the better question, she mused. No matter her recent epiphanies, whatever had just happened, whatever they had just become to each other was something both had agreed was a very bad idea. And now they lay on the mangled furs, bodies humming with orgasm four days away from the trial that would determine her life, and the one lifeline she had was staring at her like she was a ticking bomb.

Things were really complicated sometimes.

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed! Mmm, alien sex :)


	6. Chapter 6

Yay! Chapter 6! Hoo, can't believe I'm making it this far! Glad to hear all enjoyed the sexy time, hope you enjoy the aftermath! :)

* * *

Wincing, Colette pushed herself up, her right arm buckling when she tried to put weight on it, her wounded shoulder unable to support her. Collapsing back onto the bed, she sighed and stared at the ceiling. Guan-thwei had not moved, still making that odd rumbling sound.

Turning her face to the side, she couldn't bring herself to regret what they had done and wasn't embarrassed or angry enough to cry about it. So she sighed again, swallowing the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. Raising her hand, she dragged it down her face, rubbing at her mouth, scraping at the bright blood that had dried at one corner.

She watched him leave the bed and walk out of her line of sight, oddly apathetic about his destination. She had taken the initiative, tested her resolve and feelings and found them both still very strong. The rest was up to him and right now, with her body burning in pleasure and pain, she couldn't be bothered to try and help him figure it out.

He re-emerged in her line of sight, still gloriously naked, his eyes bright again. Something in her came back together at that look, a small piece re-attaching itself to her soul or heart or whatever. Smiling, she let her eyes close, hearing him pad over to her. A moment later she felt his warm hands on her shoulder, wincing but staying quiet when he started to bandage the wound.

He rumbled quietly, beads clacking as his head tilted. Colette opened her eyes and looked at him, taking in his high brow and golden eyes, the twitching mandibles and sharp fangs in a small mouth still red from her blood. "Hey," she whispered, sleepy and content. He just growled at her, his upper mandibles twitching.

His hand went back to her hair, brushing through the golden strands. She felt him settle behind her, his large body carefully laying down behind hers. She pushed back against him, his purring vibrating in his chest. It combined with his natural warmth acted as a hot massage and she snuggled back into him, arching her back and moaning when her muscles began to loosen, her bruises woothed by the hear. She started to fall asleep to his purring, murmuring and turning over when the warm furs were drawn over her body, pressing her face into his chest.

She had odd dreams, the first vivid ones she'd had since the attack; she sat in class, a large blank canvas on the table in front of her. She felt herself go through the movements; pouring out the paint, mixing the colours, washing the brushes. When it came time to actually paint, she tilted her head and considered the canvas.

"What are you doing?"

Colette turned toward the voice, comfortably familiar with the warm, slightly haughty tone of her best friend. "Creating," she replied, turning back to the canvas. A blotch of blue paint splattered onto the surface, but before she could blot it away, the paint was sucked into the canvas, disappearing into the rough surface.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked, brown hair swaying as her head tilted.

Colette nodded absent-mindedly, hesitantly bringing the brush to the surface of the canvas. Laying down a broad stroke of paint, she watched in dismay and confusion as it was swallowed up again. She got new paint, still unsure about what she was drawing.

"Doesn't look like much," Amy pointed out. Colette shrugged, watching disinterestedly as several colours and patterns moved over the canvas, some beautiful, others jarringly ugly.

"They never do until they're done," she replied, bringing her brush to the blank-again canvas. But when she laid down a bright line of red, it was quickly sucked away.

"But you can't finish unless you know what you're painting, right?" Amy tilted her head, long brown hair sliding over her shoulders, bronzed skin glowing in the bright room.

"I know what I'm doing," Colette protested, but every time she put her brush to canvas, the paint would disappear, over and over. And over and over, the beautiful and ugly images would slide over the canvas, from one end to the other, leaving it blank every time.

Amy made a noise of non-commitment, moving closer. "Do you? You just pick colours and strokes without thought to why." Colette shook her head, frowning. "Art is about interpretation; how the artist sees the subject," she said, quoting Thei-di Thwei.

Amy nodded, her full lips pursing. "Yes, true, but how do you see your subject?"

Colette finally looked at her, blue eyes considering. "I don't know," she replied honestly, turning back to her canvas.

She considered the paints and considered what she was drawing then started mixing a deep blue and red. Amy watched silently as the paint was set to canvas and stayed, the different colours splashing into each other. She chose every color she felt, swirling and grading it, the large canvas suddenly filling with riotous emotion.

She stepped back when she was done, Amy's warm body brushing her own, and admired her work. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, the bright colours nearly engulfed by the moodier darks. She tilted her head, frowning; the painting was incomplete for some reason, everything so confused and beautifully wrought.

Amy stood beside her, silent and companionable, much stiller and quieter than she'd ever been in life. Colette felt something inside her tug at the sight of the painting, the colours and textures beautiful and congruent but something was still missing. Not taking her eyes off the painting, she leaned forward and picked up a large house-brush. Swirling it in light blue paint, she considered the painting, an image and feeling swelling up in her.

Raising it, she began to paint over the canvas in long broad strokes, covering up most of the mixed colours. It was a rough job, the blue barely covering in some areas, but that was how she wanted it, a massive sea of calming blue with a gorgeous symphony of uncertainty lurking behind it.

Amy stepped up next to her, a smile tugging at her full lips. "Do you see, now?" Colette nodded, smiling at the large canvas, the bright colour marred by the darker mix underneath it; but it worked and she loved it.

Amy turned to her, brown eyes bright. "Just one more thing: Seriously Hot Body." Colette looked at her in surprise, a smile curling her lips. "Seriously Hot Sex," she agreed, tears welling up. Amy was how she remembered her: brown curls spilling over shoulders holding up a sexy and expensive tank-top, long bronzed arms crossed under her breasts, legs stretching out from a tight pencil skirt. Colette reached out, wanting to skim her fingers over the curls she had been so jealous of, feel the bronze skin she had wanted as her own.

"Thank you," she choked out, her fingers stopping just short of touching her. This was how she remembered her and she didn't want to ruin that by suddenly finding her fingers passing through the remembered body. The dream had begun to fade, though, her beautiful friend disappearing into the coming black, her smile disappearing last.

* * *

She was awoken by an urgent growling, a large hand roughly shaking her wounded shoulder. Crying out, Colette turned over, prepared to demand an explanation from her friend, companion, or lover, whichever he had decided to become or stay as.

She froze when she found Thei-di Thwei's dark gold gaze, his brow lowered and mandibles flared. _You must come now_, he demanded, starting to haul her up. Colette struggled to keep the furs around her body, alarmed at her nudity. Guan-thwei was nowhere in sight and she wasn't sure where he had gone or what the elder's presence might mean. Thei-di Thwei only barked at her, shaking her upper arm and pulling her away from the bed. The fur slid away, revealing the evidence from the previous night.

He growled, an unhappy sound that Colette was frightened by before he turned away with a small snort, his dreads flaring around him. "What's happening?" Colette demanded, reaching for the cloth he held out to her. Instead of giving it to her, however, Thei-di Thwei caught her wrist and swiftly turned her, wrapping her bruised frame in the course linen and tucking it around her in a crude toga.

Looking around, Colette began to panic when she noticed her large companion was nowhere in sight.

"Where is he?" she asked, swallowing, her heart beating against her chest. Thei-di Thwei growled, dark gold eyes flashing. _He defends your life and his honour_, he stated, grasping her wrist and leading her to the open door.

"But the trial is in, like four or three days or something. Unless…did I sleep through it, or something?" When the elder didn't answer, roughly leading her past the empty common room and into the public areas, Colette tried to hold onto her calm and composure. Pulling at her wrist futilely, she dug her fingernails into his hand, trying to get his attention.

He turned on her with a loud bark, everything about him suddenly aggressive and hostile.

"What is going on?" she asked, looking up at him, wondering at the sudden change. He snorted and leaned back, regarding her, his dark gaze calculating and measuring. Finally he turned away, leading her between two statues into a heavily decorated alcove. He let go of her wrist, rumbling when she rubbed the bruising flesh.

_What do you think?_ he demanded, leaning into her. Colette tried not to step back, needing to be strong for this. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, panic swelling up in her again.

_You are prey, an animal tolerated because your honour was regained through killing one of our own._ Colette nodded, already aware of all this, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach, making her nauseous.

_Guan-thwei speaks for you and himself, defending your perversity_. Colette's eyes widened, her fears confirmed. "Oh shit," she whimpered, bringing her hand to her mouth. Thei-di Thwei nodded shortly, beads clacking, his dark eyes angry.

"What's happening? What will happen?" she asked, not looking at him, staring into the shadows and thinking. _You were brought here to prove your honour and silence, Guan-thwei speaking for you. Now many wonder if you were brought here with a different purpose_._ I am to keep you safe until he returns_. She watched him cautiously, his explanation flat through the translator and his expression unfamiliar to her. Her heart beating too fast, afraid to ask the question but knowing she needed to understand her situation better. "What purpose? Why would you need to protect me?" she asked.

His dark eyes flashed to the bandaged mark on her shoulder before meeting her gaze again.

Colette sucked in a breath, eyes widening and anger spiking. "They think I came here to be a fuck-toy?" Thei-di Thwei tilted his head, beads clacking in his grey hair. _They wonder if it was staged_, he answered. _They wonder if Bakuub was the one investigating suspicious movement. And many do not approve._

Colette felt her jaw drop, incredulous at the accusation. Without thinking, acting on instinct and pure human gumption, she bared her teeth and hissed right back at him. "How fucking dare they," she growled, her hands curling into fists. She could feel it all come crashing down on her, everything playing in her mind over and over again. "They think that we've been fucking in secret and orchestrated a brutal massacre to cover it up? Are you fucking shitting me?"

Thei-di Thwei rumbled at her, mandibles flaring, his own fists clenching. Colette narrowed her eyes at his behaviour before she recognized her own body language. Realizing she needed to back down, Thei-di Thwei helping her no matter his personal opinions, she swallowed, closing her eyes and breathing deep.

"Sorry," she ground out, staring at the ground, her anger palpable even as she tried to relax her stance. "Please, please tell me what's going to happen. They're not going to believe that shit, are they? You guys can smell lying and stuff, can't you?"

Thei-di Thwei growled at her, his fists still clenched and mandibles flared. _There are ways to cover the stench of a lie. Mating is the most successful way_.

Colette stared at him, speechless, remembering every time Guan-thwei had mentioned her scent; the selfishness and stupidity of her actions finally came to her and settled in her stomach heavily. "Oh God," she whimpered, falling back a step with the shock. "Oh my God, they don't think we…Oh shit, oh no, we need to go now," she said, trying to step around him. Thei-di Thwei shook his head. _Your presence will only make things worse. Without you, his scent will not be tainted by mating musk_. His mandibles twitched when he said that, eyes dark and bright, but his body had relaxed somewhat. She wondered what he thought of the entire thing, whether he was angry at them or the situation.

"But what if they don't believe him?" Colette demanded, panicking, trying to move past him again. He stopped her by reaching for her wounded shoulder and squeezing none too gently, letting her know she needed to obey. Colette cried out, buckling under the pain, her eyes watering. _Then you shall both be hunted until dead_, he stated, pushing her back in front of him, blocking her path.

Colette shook her head, the unbelievable shitty unfairness of the situation too much for her. "No no no no no no no," she chanted, shaking her head, blonde hair swinging around her shoulders. "No, that's not-no. I have to do something," she said, her voice trembling, throat thick. Thei-di Thwei tilted his head, long hair clacking.

_You can do nothing except wait. They will not accept your trial until they have determined Guan-thwei's honour. If he is brandished a bad blood, you will both be hunted._

"What if he's not?" Colette asked, desperately grasping onto the small hope. Thei-di Thwei shook his head. _Even so, he mated with a ooman; one he protected and guaranteed. Bakuub was filthy and vile and his death will bring many pleasure, but the fact that you killed him does not mean you are accepted. He was well and self-taught in the way of human politicking and if Guan-thwei's status is stripped many will challenge him for you._ Colette frowned at the elder, clutching her sore shoulder. "So he made friends in high places? Does that matter? I thought you all were honour-bound and crap to kill each other if your hair offended somebody else."

Thei-di Thwei growled, tilting his head back, mandibles flaring. Colette held up a hand, sighing deeply and reminding herself to stay calm. "Sorry, but seriously, I thought talking and schmoozing were frowned upon."

_Usually, yes, however we are sentient, capable of individual thoughts and actions outside of our government. Usually only exiles find word manipulation useful but Bakuub had a certain persuasiveness about him._

Colette shook her head. "So sleeping with me is evidence of dishonour? At best, it's just proof that Guan-thwei took pity on the poor human who's been salivating all over him. I should be there, not him. His every action was honourable; I'm the one who pushed even though he had repeatedly demanded I leave it be. Please," she begged, reaching forward but not touching him, "please, this is my fault and I need to answer for it."

_Your only answer can be death,_ Thei-di Thwei said, tilting his head.

"Why? Why always with the death? Don't I get a chance to prove myself? Shouldn't this hold trial, too? Goddamn it, some guy in India went to court to marry his goat and he won!" She ignored the weird, nauseating sensation that roiled in her stomach, comparing herself to a goat. "Guan-thwei said there were other humans and that some had been accepted through hunts, or something. Haven't others been accepted as, like, lovers or mates or something?"

Thei-di Thwei nodded slowly, his dark gold eyes penetrating. _Rarely, but yes. Those who have accepted Oomans as mates,_ he flared his mandibles a bit, _have been exiled and hunted. They lose their status and name, forced out of the clan with their mate and branded prey for the rest of their life_. The way his body moved as he spoke, mandibles flaring, muscles twitching in his shoulders, told Colette that this was a very bad thing.

"So, you're dishonoured and thrown out? Shit." She slumped, the weight of what they had done, what she had practically forced on him weighing heavily on her mind. His honour was everything in their society, and imagining him stripped of it, taken away from his home and clan because she couldn't control her libido was shattering.

"What if I can do something? This is my fault, he would never have done anything if I hadn't pretty much begged him." She grimaced at the thought, remembering her continuous advances even after his warnings and refusals.

Thei-di Thwei tilted his head at her, long beads clacking. Finally he huffed and turned toward the opening in the statues, looking out at the empty hallway. _Only one ooman has accepted the hunt as a way to prove themselves and their mate_.

"The Hunt, what hunt, what does that mean?" He huffed and rolled his shoulders, tilting his head, dark gold eyes regarding her. _There is one way to keep honour and status in this situation, but both must agree to it. If there is disagreement, the elders will determine neither is strong enough to keep their honour and you shall both be stripped of it._

"Agree to what?" Colette asked, clinging desperately to the small hope being offered.

He was silent for a long time, just watching her, his aged face pensive. Finally he nodded curtly, long hair clacking. Grasping her wrist, he pulled her out into the hallway, long strides nearly impossible for her to keep up with. Colette held her toga in place with one hand, occasionally tripping on the long hem. He didn't offer an explanation but he had helped her so far; she hoped he continued.

He dragged her past several guards down passages she was not familiar with. No one stopped them, several Yautja just dropping back and bowing with respect, watching her curiously. They stopped at a small set of dark wood doors, Thei-di Thwei arranging her into a seemingly acceptable position before he knocked.

When the door opened, he immediately bowed his head, pushing on the top of Colette's head to do the same. She stared at a pair of heavy cloth boots, intricate metal winding around the strong ankles and calves.

_You bring the ooman?_ A voice asked, one she was unfamiliar with. A deeper, much more familiar and happily welcomed voice came right after.

_She was to stay in the Arbitrator's hall_, Guan-thwei's growl came out.

_She wishes to speak for Guan-thwei_, Thei-di Thwei said, his head still bowed in respect.

_And Guan-thwei wishes to speak for her_, the voice rumbled out, beads clacking. Colette saw large knees bend into sight, whoever in front of her squatting down. _Interesting, your ooman_, the Yautja in front of her said, a large finger poking under her chin and pushing her face up.

Colette felt Thei-di Thwei tense beside her, his large muscles clenched. She didn't know what to do, wondering if this was a test of some kind. The finger under her chin applied more force and Colette let her eyes drift up to the gaze of the person in front of her.

She was massive, breasts covered by a heavy plate, intricately and beautifully decorated. Long belts and sashes of rope carrying skulls adorned her body, the bones, tiny on her large person, clacking with each flex and twitch. Her grey hair hung nearly to the floor while she was bent over, the knots and braids heavily decorated with skulls, beads, and dyed leather. _You speak for him, he speaks for you; what shall we do?_

Colette's eyes widened, the wizened face familiar even though she had only ever gotten a small glimpse last time. The Clan Elder stood in front of her, dark gold eyes regarding her curiously, mandibles twitching and clacking. She was making eye contact and found herself terrified, hoping since the contact was forced on her she wasn't doing anything wrong.

_Your terror is strong_, the Elder stated, leaning back slightly. Colette wished the translator could distinguish tones, the Elder hard to read compared to the Arbitrators. She had her head tilted, regarding her silently, waiting for something.

Colette swallowed and opened her mouth but she had no clue what to say, her mind wiped blank by her fear. The Elder watched her some more, something shifting in her gaze, a rumble starting in her chest. She started to pull away, her head turning and beads clacking, her claw scraping the soft skin at Colette's neck. The pain jolted her out of her stupor and she felt something very important slipping away from her when the finger finally left her skin.

"The hunt," she burst out, surprised at her gall, the last syllable catching in her throat. The Elder turned to her, and now that she was looking up Colette could see Guan-thwei's large form standing in a cavernous room that seemed too decorated to be a living space.

"The hunt, I, uh, I want to do…that" she said, finishing lamely when Guan-thwei began to snarl and the Elder continued to look at her curiously. "What happened, Guan-thwei had nothing to do with that…Well, he did, but I started it and he just sort of was along for the ride. Not to say that, you know, it was just…um, shit, look, please…"

The Elder began to growl at her rambling and Colette shifted, shutting up with a small apology.

_She cannot take the hunt_, Guan-thwei growled from the background, shifting closer. The Elder held up a large hand, Guan-thwei instantly stopping and bowing his head.

_She has your honour as guarantee of her own and unless you willingly admit your honour is feeble, she may speak and decide; these are our laws and they shall stand._ The Elder shifted her attention back to Colette, her gaze thoughtful and piercing._ Do you understand your decision?_

Colette swallowed and nodded, focussing on the Elder to keep her fear in check. She started to shiver, sweat drying on her skin and she was reminded she was standing in front of the leader of her lover's people in nothing but what they used as a towel.

She resisted the urge to cover herself up, fingers twitching at her sides. "Yes," she answered, breathing hard, not really understanding at all but not wanting to second-guess herself.

The Elder nodded, her long grey hair clacking.

_And why?_

Colette frowned before she quickly smoothed her features as best she could, the question catching her off-guard. "Uh," she began, quickly scrambling to gather her thoughts. "Um, for-for Gwahn Thway," she stuttered, trying to understand what needed to be said. The Elder's eyes narrowed, dark gold shadowed by a low brow.

Colette collected herself, taking a deep breath and looking down. "What happened," she blushed but soldiered on, raising her gaze to the Elder's again. "What happened, that wasn't for any sort of stench-covering thing or something and Gwahn Thway, he shouldn't have to pay for it. I don't know what will happen, but I want to do the hunt." She tried to desperately keep a coherent speech going, even as her mind ran in circles. She shifted her gaze to Guan-thwei, his large form tense and still, waiting. "For him," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. She cleared her throat and continued. "So he can keep his honour. It is what he is and that sounds really weird but he has been nothing but honourable and true to his word from the very first moment. He deserves to keep it and I want to help him."

She blew out a long breath after her little speech, the Elder purring a little, head cocked. Colette shifted, her heart beating hard and fast, the adrenaline pumping through her body. "I want to do the hunt for Gwahn Thway," she said loudly into the silence, straightening slightly, breathing hard. She dared a glance at her lover, standing straight in the semi-darkness of the room. He had tilted his head at her, mandibles flared slightly, but there was brightness in his eyes that gave her a small hope.

_You have no honour; you rely solely on Guan-thwei's. Should you die, he will be tried in your stead. If he is found unworthy under your charges, he will be executed. Do you understand?_

Colette nodded quickly, her decision made. "Yes. Yes, I understand. If I survive the hunt, will I still stand trial?" The Elder nodded, turning away and walking further into the room, barking at Thei-di Thwei who walked in as well, closing the door behind him.

Colette remained rooted to the spot, feeling the Arbitrator stand behind her, his warmth a welcome comfort. Guan-thwei continued to stand in the middle of the room, away from her.

_If you survive, Guan-thwei keeps his honour and you will stand trial for the slaughter on your planet. If you are found trust-worthy, you will be set free to live however you will on your planet. If you are not, you will be executed_. The Elder turned when she'd gotten to a large desk, pressing down on the surface and reaching into a drawer that slid open. Before she could reveal what she had, Guan-thwei began to speak.

_I request to join the Hunt_, he said, never taking his eyes off Colette. Colette frowned, confused. The Elder turned to Guan-thwei, beads clacking, mandibles twitching.

_You understand your actions?_ she asked, a growl starting in her chest. Guan-thwei nodded, shifting his gaze to the Elder who was watching him with narrowed eyes. She really was huge, Colette thought absently, seeing them side by side.

She studied him, then turned to Colette. _Do you understand the action he chooses to take? _Colette shook her head, biting her lip. She shifted the toga a little, the constant movement and heavy material loosening the haphazard knot further.

_Should he do the Hunt with you, should you accept this, you accept him as your mate_. Colette frowned and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, thinking that through, slightly confused since that was why they were here.

"As in, we can…um, I don't think I understand," she admitted, feeling slightly lost.

_In the hunt, if one of you dies, so shall the other._ _If you both survive, you will be accepted into the clan as Guan-thwei's life mate_. The Elder moved toward her, squatting down again. _If you do the hunt with him, you forgo the trial for your honour and silence. You will never be able to return to your previous life_.

Colette sucked in a breath, a bright hope flaring in her at the thought of staying with Guan-thwei, even more that he had suggested it. But it was tempered by the thought that if she stayed with him, she could never go home.

"So I'd never be able to see my family? Or-or friends, I would, I would stay here?" She didn't know how she felt about that, the loss of her family sitting heavily in her stomach, the thought of staying on the clan ship even heavier. She'd been prepared to lose everyone anyway, knowing that she'd never be allowed to contact them even if she was released. Too many questions and suspicions would arise and eventually someone would find something out. But the thought of never even being able to see them, track them and make sure they were okay was a completely different feeling.

The Elder shook her head, watching her cautiously now. _You would stay with Guan-thwei; he would keep his status as Arbitrator and as such, you would be able to leave with him when he does_._ You must deliver your answer, now_.

Colette looked around the room, feeling helpless, even more so than when she'd been trapped in the hallway. There she could fight, take her time, delay; here, she had to make a life-or-death decision without the luxury of time. She met Guan-thwei's golden gaze, the bright eyes cautious, his mandibles held tightly to his face and she wondered how to make her decision, the loss of either part of her life painful. Suddenly her dream came to her, the painting she'd been uncertain about filling her mind, the calming blue almost covering the turbulent blend and she started to understand.

She loved him, didn't know if it had happened during the sex or if it was lurking in the back of her mind, waiting for her to find it, but she loved him. The realization made her stop and she actually thought about the previous question, about why she was doing this and the answer ran around and around in an excited little circle. She realized she'd been silent too long, staring at her lover, the person she loved, and frowning. She shifted her gaze to the Elder and hoped her happy epiphany didn't show up on her face too much. Before she could let herself feel the loss too keenly, memories of her family and friends rising in her mind, she nodded firmly, straightening.

"Yes," she said, her gaze shifting to Guan-thwei again. He tilted his head at her, upper mandibles flaring slightly, his odd flat rumble filling the room.

The Elder nodded shortly, straightening. _Leave_, she commanded, turning to the desk. _The ooman will stay; you may retrieve her in time_. Colette looked at Guan-thwei nervously as he paused by her, passing a hand along her hair, the tangled strands catching at his fingers slightly. She smiled up at him, close mouthed and nervous.

Thei-di Thwei rumbled and they both turned away, the large door closing behind them.

Colette swallowed, not wanting to focus on the rest of the room, but she had come here, she had chosen to show her strength and she wouldn't back down now.

The Elder was standing by the open drawer again, reaching in. Colette shifted, uncomfortably aware of how small she was in the large space.

_Come closer_, the Elder commanded, lifting out a small wooden box. Colette walked forward, desperately hoping her toga didn't slip and really wishing she'd been able to keep her underwear. It was dim, Yautja seeing in heat vision and so lights were pretty much useless. She stepped toward the glowing screen set up above the desk, using that as a guide.

The box held several beads made of bone and metal, ornately carved. The Elder held her hand over them, palm down as if feeling the air above them.

_Bakuub was a vile creature, one I am ashamed to call blood. If you had stood trial, you would have been found worthy by Guan-thwei's honour and Bakuub's own tarnished reputation. He killed my youngest daughter, though it could not be proved. She was not yet blooded, he taking her on a hunt and returning with a corpse, her skull crushed_. She growled, mandibles flaring, something oddly human in the pained expression in her eyes. _He said she had fallen and he had many 'witnesses'; spineless cretins lulled by his empty and weak promises. He has many friends, most of which are too stupid or weak to mate and so clung to his empty politics; there were a choice few with enough influence to get him off the clan ship_._ Should he have tried to return, he would have been declared Exile; to be killed by a ooman is a fittingly pathetic end for one so gutless._

Colette didn't take much offence to the slight, knowing being killed by anything smaller than themselves was probably a sad way to go. She didn't know what to say, pretty sure petty condolences were not being sought and not wanting to insult the memory of her daughter by offering a pat on the hand.

_The males, they teach but they do not nurture. Many do not understand the ties of family and blood, focussing on how to perfect a hunter after he has grown. It is rare a ooman leaves their lives for one of our own, rarer still that it is done by choice. I cannot say I understand Guan-thwei's eccentricities, but I wish to extend my gratitude for avenging my daughter_. She bent and reached out and grasped Colette's shoulder, her fingers easily spanning past her collarbone and shoulder blades, shaking it before removing her hand.

Colette swallowed and nodded, looking down before meeting the Elder's gaze again. "Thank you for giving me this chance," she said, bowing her head. The Elder rumbled, reaching into the desk again, her beads and skulls glinting in the light.

She pulled out another box, this one metal and much more utilitarian. Inside were several small discs, about the size of a quarter. _Hold out your arm, _the Elder commanded, lifting out one of the discs. Colette hesitated briefly before she did as instructed. The Elder took her small arm in one large hand, the fingers easily spanning her forearm. She turned it over, revealing Colette's wrist.

Rubbing the top of the disc, the bottom began to glow. Colette swallowed, watching it get closer to her skin, able to make out heat shimmers in the dim light.

The Elder pressed the disc into her skin just above her wrist, burning the metal into flesh. Colette cried out and instinctively tried to pull back, the grip tightening on her arm. Biting her lip, she grimaced and tried not to cry, the fingers of her free hand clutching the material of her toga tightly.

When it was over, the Elder let out a satisfied grunt and released her arm. Colette winced when she pulled her limb back toward herself, the skin tugging at the new implant.

_It will monitor your vital signs; should you or Guan-thwei die while on the hunt, your ship will be destroyed_. Colette looked down at the implant, her skin still raw and blistered. Nodding, she held her arm close, trying not to show her pain too much although she was sure the Elder could tell.

_You mate waits in the hall; you shall leave in two of our days, more than three of yours_. Colette nodded again, bowing slightly. "Thank you, respected Elder," she said, trying to be as formal and polite as possible, her voice wavering embarrassingly from the pain.

The Elder rumbled slightly, closing the box and placing it back into her drawer, stroking the dark wood before sliding it shut.

Colette turned away, letting her have her privacy. When she slipped past the door, Guan-thwei was standing there, head cocked to the side, golden eyes bright and hot. "Hey, big guy," she said, reaching out and stroking her fingers along his forearm. He purred at her, tilting his head down and bending until he was at her level.

"So, two days," Colette commented, smiling up at him, feeling elated even with possible death looming over her. She was happy and the thought that she could die happy was almost too much for her, the absolute perfection of the moment annoyingly ineffable. She felt hot breath ghost over her skin, his deep rumble louder now and she felt his sharp mandibles embrace her face, tusks digging into her cheeks.

She closed her eyes and breathed him in, leaning into his warmth when he pulled away. "Right back at you," she whispered, smiling widely. He purred and placed a hand on the back of her neck, a gentle, possessive move that made her unbelievable content. "So, two days, or, you know, three," she said again, "could get boring." He rumbled and moved his hand up, petting her tangled strands.

_You will not be bored_, he promised_, we have much to prepare. _Colette gave him a look but let it go. He'd already admitted she was impossible to resist, which was an awesome thought when it came to the guy she wanted to sleep with.

And on that thought, she grimaced as they began to move down the hallway. "We should probably still see the doctor guy," she said. He gave her an amused growl and squeezed the back of her neck.

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I hope you enjoyed! I promise more action and almost-death in the next chapter! As always, R&R appreciated, and huge huge thank you for everyone reading! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Yay! Chapter 7! It's almost over, just got another two chapters! So excited! Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed and I hope you enjoy the action!

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He wasn't kidding. They spent the days leading up to the hunt preparing. She had almost cried when he'd torn her Louboutins apart, carefully taking the studs out and placing them into some make shift grenades. They were her last connection to any life she had had previously and to see them torn apart, even if it was for her benefit, was excruciating.

Her clothes were almost useless, but she had nothing else and the best he could do was create some gauntlets and ankle braces out of leather he had. She sat around, mostly, listening to him explain the hunt and painting random images onto the leather.

_We will be released onto a hunting planet; we must survive a week or kill them all to leave. Should one of us be killed, the ship will be destroyed_._ Any weapons or clothing we take will be ones we already possess or can make._

Colette nodded, aware of the terms and conditions. "Okay, so we have to survive. One of your weeks, or mine?"

_Mine_

"Oh goody, so two of mine. What's the plan?"

He brought up a digital map from his desk, pointing out the terrain. _This does not show any caves or underground systems and so there will be improvisation, if necessary._ Colette nodded. "Okay. How many other hunters?"

_On this planet; eighty or so_. Colette nodded as he spoke then paused, making a noise in the back of her throat. "Okay, I probably should have asked this before, because I don't really understand what's happening. What is the hunt, exactly?"

Guan-thwei tilted his head at her, rumbling. _You asked to be a part of something you do not understand?_ He shook his head, beads clacking. "Well, sort of," Colette said, slightly offended, "I get to be with you. Understanding done." He rumbled, his golden eyes bright. Colette smiled at him and pulled a face, "Yeah, yeah, concentrate."

_The Hunt is popular with older hunters who tire of hunting oomans and smaller game. The different Clans deposit hunters for months at a time, or until they wish to leave. It is sport for those still hunting for trophies who wish for a challenge._

"So you hunt each other? Very Earnest Hemingway." He rumbled, his head tilting and upper mandibles flaring. "Right, okay. Um, so we get sent there and have to kill and survive? If I had done this by myself, what would that have accomplished? Why would I still have had to stand trial?"

_The Hunt would prove you are strong enough to live, the trial would prove you are smart enough to not speak_. Colette nodded. "Oh, and since we're doing this together, I don't have to do the trial cause I can't ever go back." She felt a pang, a deep stabbing in her chest when she remembered her family and friends, the way her father constantly complained about the heat of Miami and her mother the cold of Edmonton. She wondered what they were doing, wondered what had happened in the month since the massacre; more than a month, she reminded herself. She really needed to start setting up a calendar or asking if he had one because being unaware of the time of disorienting. She thought back to her dream and remembered Amy and mourned for her parents` loss, knowing they`d never understand what had happened.

She wiped at her eyes, tucking her chin to her chest so he wouldn't see. But he had an amazing sense of smell and hearing and patted her hair. The movement caused some tears to fall onto the linen of her toga she'd started wearing, seeing as they never left his quarters anyway. She looked up into bright golden eyes, a little shadowed, and smiled. "Don't worry, big guy, not regretting anything. Just," she sighed deeply, looking away, "it's kinda big, leaving my family." She wondered if he understood, their culture revolving around progeny leaving and becoming better. She wondered if this would constitute better in her parents' handbook.

"Okay, so hunt. We survive one week of eighty crazy trophy hunters and then we leave?" Guan-thwei nodded slowly. "Oh goody, that's uh, sounds fun. Um, how often has this happened?"

He tilted his head and she grinned, reaching up and tracing a hand down his face, over the soft skin between his mandibles and tugging slightly on one of the lower tusks. "You know, how many humans have done this?"

_Four,_ he replied, leaning into her caress, purring. She sighed and dropped her hand, knowing it was unfair to rile him up when they should be concentrating on strategy. "Okay, as in total?" He nodded, moving closer to her. The hunt was tomorrow and over the hours since they'd left the Elder, he'd been very, very physical. Without the taboo, or at least with permission something in him seemed to ease and he touched her every chance he got. They hadn`t had a repeat of the previous night, but she could feel him get closer every time he touched her.

She shifted, her hormones still running wild. They had spoken to a doctor guy when they left the Clan Elder, he flicking his gaze over her curiously, his mandibles flared. He had growled and huffed, handing over a package with a disgusted snort, Guan-thwei rumbling threateningly. Colette flushed, hating that she was the reason for people's reaction toward him.

The small package turned out to be an oblong cup with an odd gel held inside. Guan-thwei, haltingly and uncharacteristically embarrassed, had explained how it worked. It was weird and adorable and utterly familiar, the big bad man taken down when explaining feminine hygiene products. She was tempted to pretend not to understand when he explained how the gel would gather up the discarded tissue and blood, the cup slowly hardening until the cycle was over. But she figured he only had so much humour even for her so accepted the package after having him explain it twice.

For the moment, nothing had happened and she figured she had another day or two before her period. And even though he had insisted they concentrate on honing whatever small skills she had, he couldn't seem to keep himself away from her and she loved to make him chase, if only slightly.

Sliding off of the table, she pushed herself against him, arching her back and smirking up at him. "Right, so we should work on my…technique and strength." She started to move away, deliberately brushing against him. He growled and reached for her, grabbing her arm and hauling her back onto the table.

She smiled and spread her legs, letting him stand between them. He grabbed the hem of her toga, tugging it up her thighs, bunching at her waist. Sitting on the high table, she was nearly eye level with him and took advantage of the height. Colette leaned forward and licked up his lower mandible, biting down on the skin covering the tendon. He growled, rough hands pulling her legs further apart, upsetting her balance. She fell back a little, catching herself quickly.

She felt his fingers brush over her sex and she whined, leaning into the contact wantonly. He rumbled, teasingly running over her wet lips and engorged clit, his claws scraping against the heated flesh deliciously. She looked at him, his bright golden gaze burning through her. Colette bit her lip, shifting her gaze and looking down, moaning when she saw his dark, rough hand between her legs, spreading her and teasing her.

He finally pressed into her, one large finger entering and stretching her, his thumb pressing roughly into her clit, pushing just right. She watched him, watched the strong wrist and large fingers against her pale flesh and lifted her gaze to his own. He was rumbling and snarling, mandibles twitching as he stared at her.

She gasped and pushed herself up, reaching down and holding his wrist as she began to move her hips, throwing her head back and groaning as she fucked herself on his finger. He growled, his free hand grasping her thigh, pushing it back against the edge of the table and opening her further. She began to whine, the familiar tightness starting in her abdomen, pulling at every part of her body and settling at her clit.

She heard him rumble, his dreads scraping along her skin as he lowered his head. One large hand came up from where it was holding her and pulled at the knot in her toga, the cloth falling away and leaving her naked. Hot breath ghosted over her nipple, his mandible poking into the flesh of her breast. She couldn't take much more, her moans becoming more desperate, pulling on his wrist and pushing into his finger. She expected a hot tongue to bathe her nipple, was waiting for that last push over the edge. Instead, he pulled away and pushed her down, his hand at her chest.

Colette opened her eyes, putting her elbows behind her to support her. He gave her a lopsided grin, his golden eyes bright as he dragged his hand down her body, pausing at her nipple to tweak it. She cried out, her thighs spasming, her orgasm so close.

Suddenly she felt his sharp mandibles gently poking along her labia, his hot tongue licking out and teasing her clit. That was it, the threat of pain and the reality of pleasure sent her over the edge, her orgasm washing over her. She cried out, head thrown back when his tongue pushed against her entrance, her muscles spasming.

"Oh fuck," she whined when he released her thighs to spread her, rough fingers holding her lips open as he started to push into her. She rested her calves on his shoulders, pressing into his back with her heels and begging him to fuck her. He growled, the vibration moving up his chest and through his mouth. She gasped and her fingernails scraped against the metal surface of the table when his tongue moved within her, pulsing and vibrating with his growls and purrs.

She begged and pleaded, another orgasm rushing up to her, his hot breath and deep growls aiding her on the way. She went over when the pad of a finger pressed into her clit again, rubbing and she came screaming, laying flat on the table. She spread herself out now, her fingers holding onto the edges of the table, her calves squeezing his shoulders and feet digging into his back. And still he continued, growling and snorting, his fingers and tongue pushing her into orgasm after orgasm. She didn't know how long had passed, figured she must be close to blacking out with the pleasure rushing through her but hoped to hell he wouldn't stop.

She whined when he gave her a final long lick, pausing at her clit and purring. _How was my technique?_ he asked, and Colette had to take a minute to understand him. Her brain had turned to mush, everything centred on what he had been doing to her.

When she finally caught up, she gave a half-sob half-laugh and covered her face with her hands, arching off the table slightly. "Oh Jesus, it could use some more practice," she said, dropping her hands and smirking up at him. He tilted his head and nodded, growling. _Shall I leave and practice?_ Colette looked at him, eyes wide with panic before she realized he was teasing her, wishing again the translator could determine tone.

"Fucking try," she threatened. He tilted his head, amused growling coming from him and she had to admit that being challenged by a naked human currently weak with his ministrations was probably high on the list of what they called humour.

He still hadn't moved, flexing his hands, head tilted. She could see the impressive bulge hidden by his loin cloth and nearly moaned when she thought about what the metal and linen hid. But he apparently wanted to play, she hoped, or else this was some weird Yautja sex thing where only the female got pleasured. Which, she thought, could be totally possible, given the way their society worked.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him and bit her lip, tilting her head down and to the side in a sign of what she hoped was submission. Something in his gaze flared and she figured she must be doing something right. She slid her hand down over her body, past her aching breasts and over her hip bone, pressing into the flesh of her thigh. She dug her fingernails in a bit, watching as he leaned forward when she left red marks up her thigh, scratching her way to her sex.

He rumbled, holding himself as still as possible, but she could see the way his pulse jumped in his neck, the thin skin stretched as he tried to get closer without actually moving. Smiling, she leaned forward as well, letting her body hide what she was doing between her legs. He growled, muscles twitching beneath thick skin as he tilted his head, trying to see. Shaking her head almost imperceptibly, golden hair waving, she gave him another coy smile, then theatrically groaned and rolled her eyes into the back of her head when she began to push two fingers into herself.

He growled and grasped her upper arms, straightening her upper body, gaze riveted on her sex. Smiling, she reached out with her free hand and tugged on his loincloth, trying to undo the knot on the side. He rumbled and purred, reaching down and undoing it, the metal and cloth falling to the floor heavily. She gasped and reached out, trailing her fingers down his impressive length, feeling herself get wetter at the thought of him filling her up. She didn't get a chance to fully admire him before, the previous situation rather urgently heated. Now, she took her time, squeezing and stroking, watching her pale hand rub along the dark skin of his cock.

He snarled, fingers tightening on her upper arms painfully, brow pulled low. She wanted him to lose control, wanted to be fucked like last time and it seemed he wanted a little tease to get there. Removing her fingers from her sex, she rubbed the digits along her slit before reaching out and wrapping her slick hand around him.

He roared and grasped her thighs, pulling her nearly off the table as he lined himself up. She lay on her back, hands unceremoniously splayed out to the side with the movement. She was so wet, prepared and wanting for him that when he finally slipped in, he nearly hilted before she cried out.

He stopped, breathing hard and snarling as he controlled himself, pausing and allowing her to adjust. She lay on the table, one hand gripping the edge while the other fisted in her hair, her eyes shut tight. Breathing deep, she willed herself to relax, his strong hands flexing on her thighs. Finally, she opened her eyes and nodded at him, groaning when he pulled out and pushed back in, his large hips forcing her thighs to open wider as they pressed flush against her pelvis.

He waited for her, growling, golden eyes bright and hot. She stared up at him before she let go of her hair and gripped the table.

"Come on, big guy, " she coaxed and briefly wondered if he needed her permission to start fucking her, or if it was just for her own consideration. When he began to move, she figured she didn't care.

He pulled out and slammed back in, rough and fast but his strokes were always even, always pulling out and pushing back in at a fast, brutal pace.

She felt the table move, heard it scrape along the metal floor of the ship and his thrusts suffered slightly, he having to move up every time the table moved. She threw her head back, too sore to scream so only small huffs of air came out with each thrust, occasionally punctuated by a whine. She felt him shift and opened her eyes, watching him lean over her and grip the edge of the table behind her. He was now level with her, his dreads cascading around them and blocking out the world, tickling the skin under her arms. Now that he had anchored the table, he started to thrust again and she realized she could still scream.

Without the hindrance of a moving platform, he began to thrust in earnest, the position pushing his rough skin against her engorged clit. She screamed and dug her fingernails into his back, one leg still held open by him, the other hanging off the table and jerking with each thrust. She felt his hot breath at her throat and prepared herself for the sting of his teeth. When it came, the needle sharp pain spreading through her body, exacerbating the pleasure he was pulling out of her, she felt another orgasm rush up, surprised that she was capable of another one after the marathon he'd just coaxed out of her.

She lifted her free leg, wrapping it around his hips and pushing against him as best she could. He growled around her flesh, pushing her other leg up the table, opening her further and the changed angle was just enough to send her over the edge, her muscles spasming and back arching as another orgasm pushed through her, tears running down into her hairline.

"Oh fuck, Guan-ah, huh, fuck, please!" She didn't know what she wanted, the pleasure and pain a thin line he rode so well, but she was sure that if he didn't stop now, she'd die. So she did the only thing she knew would push him over. Grasping his shoulder and bicep, she leaned up and bit the thin skin of his neck, grinding her teeth until warm blood flowed over her tongue.

He roared and pulled out, abruptly turning her over and pulling her hips up off the table. Colette tried to find a purchase but he was already pushing in, tilting her up as he had last time, her cheek digging into the metal painfully, the blood at the corner of her mouth smearing on the table top. He thrust into her, her sweaty skin catching on the metal and sticking, pulling at her flesh. She could feel it, feel his cock harden and throb, the way his thrusts became more erratic and he suddenly howled, pushing into her once more before she felt his hot come pulse into her.

She could feel the thick liquid flow out and down her thigh, feel his claws release her skin with a sting of pain and knew she'd be battered again tomorrow. Which, considering what was happening tomorrow, might not have been the best thing. But her body was humming with orgasm, every part of her sore and pleased. "Holy hell, I could get used to that," she gasped, too tired to move, her breath fogging the metal table.

Guan-thwei rumbled and patted her head, fingers running through the golden strands before he tugged gently. She huffed, not wanting to move. When he growled and pulled on her hair more insistently, she rolled her eyes down until she could see him. "I'm an artist; we can't be rushed," she said, yawning and turning over. She winced and hissed at the new bruises and cuts forming on her body, reaching up and wiping at the green blood at her mouth.

Guan-thwei beat her to it, a large finger pressing into the corner of her mouth and wiping the blood away. But instead of pulling his finger away, he pressed it into her lips, coaxing her mouth open. She looked up at him, confused but his gaze was steady and bright, golden eyes regarding her. Opening her mouth, she flicked her tongue against the pad of his thumb, biting down lightly on the digit. His blood flowed over her tongue again, a little spicy and sweet, like his come.

He rumbled and pulled away, golden eyes bright and hot again. _We should bathe and rest. Another twelve of your hours before the hunt begins_. Colette grimaced, too tired to think. "Oh yay. You wouldn't happen to have a bath tub, or, you know, Tylenol?" She sighed when he shook his head, gratefully grabbing onto him when she dropped off the table and stumbled.

When they were bathed, she gingerly made her way over to the bed, steadfastly refusing his offers for help. He rumbled when she flopped onto the furs, burying her face into the warm material and nearly passing out. His larger form settled behind her, strong arms pulling her against his chest, his warmth soothing her recent hurts.

Sighing, she pushed against him, hoping that she could have this forever.

* * *

It was terrifying, the way they were sent off. Yautja lined up, apparently the hunt a great honour and an Arbitrator taking part rare. Even rarer was that he was fighting alongside and for a human and many curiousity seekers poked their heads in when they left. The Elder stood at the entrance to the docking tube, her impressive stature covered in ceremonial armour.

Colette felt slightly out of place, the only things she had with her were her jeans and paints. So she was decked out in a hoodie, battered printed t-shirt and torn jeans, her legs and forearms protected as much as possible by the leather Guan-thwei had fashioned and moulded and she had decorated with the acrylics she had packed. Guan-thwei was wearing ceremonial armour as well, the symbol of the Arbitrator.

_May you return_, the Elder said, reaching out and grasping Guan-thwei's shoulder with a massive hand. Standing with other Yautja, the Elder's size could truly be appreciated. She stood a good head or so above the other females around her, her large beige body covered in scars and skulls. She towered over Guan-thwei, a good four feet above him, her long grey hair clacking with every movement. Guan-thwei bowed and replied, _May you greet me_. He had told her it was a customary farewell, both parties hoping for much honour and glory from the hunt. She thought it was kind of weird and formal, but when the Elder turned to her and gave her the same treatment, minus the hand on the shoulder, Colette bowed and repeated Guan-thwei's farewell.

Her grenades hung off her from her leather belt, her spear clutched in her hand. All the Yautja lined up bowed their heads in respect, sending the Arbitrator and his odd human off when they walked through the docking tube. They stepped into the ship, past the familiar cargo bay and through the dimly lit, mist covered halls. When the ship left the docking tube with a slight bump, Colette finally let her breath out, slumping a little. They were back in the cockpit, the clan ship sliding along beside them, the stars blurring on their other side.

"Wow, so this is sort of a big thing?" Guan-thwei nodded, tapping the console and standing and moving past her, stroking her hair and tugging on her ponytail. She followed him down the familiar hallways, her physical memory moving her feet down the path to her old rooms, her sandals slapping against the metal grating. Guan-thwei grabbed her upper arm, tugging her along behind him. She followed him, smiling when they came to his rooms, stepping past the threshold a bit hesitantly.

"How long until we land," she asked, stopping in the middle of his large room, uncertain. _Shortly, perhaps six of your hours._ Colette nodded, shifting a little. She walked over to his trophy wall, tilting her head and studying them.

"So we should probably strategize or practice or something?" Guan-thwei nodded, watching her, mandibles pulled tight against his face again. Colette reached out and drew one finger down the large skull she'd first admired, tracing the long tusks and small eye sockets.

She turned when he started to walk toward her, his wrist blades extended. She dropped into a fighting stance, still clumsy and so when she extended her spear, it hit one of the skulls low on his wall, shattering the bone. Guan-thwei stopped, head tilted and rumbling. Colette grimaced, looking behind her at the ruined skull before meeting his bright golden gaze.

"Probably should have worked on technique and stuff last night," she said, offering up a small smile. He shook his head, beads clacking and continued his advance. She gingerly moved away from the trophy wall, letting her guard down, convinced he wouldn't move until she was ready.

When she found herself face down, a blade digging into the back of her neck, she remembered his first lesson. "Okay, got it, fighting now." He growled but didn't let her up. _Your enemies will take every advantage; do not give it to them._

Colette nodded as much as the position would allow, putting her palms against the floor by her shoulders and pushing up. He relented, helping her up with a hand on her shoulder. She groaned and shook herself out. The bruises and punctures from last night had healed slightly more quickly than before, but she was still superbly sore and hurting. "Okay, let's go," she said, rolling her sore shoulders.

She turned and began to crouch, but he was already moving, his wrist blades coming down fast. She screeched and lifted her spear, trying to remember everything she was taught in such a short expanse of time. When his wrist blades came down, she pushed the spear between them, catching him off-guard when she twisted the spear and broke his hold.

Not quite sure what to do next, she side-kicked his knee, not really accomplishing much. He caught her leg easily and pulled her off balance, her back hitting the metal floor hard. She felt nauseous, all the air rushing out of her lungs and her stomach pushing against her diaphragm.

_Keep moving_, he reminded her, lifting her leg and pulling her off the ground slightly. _They outmatch your strength and skill; you must use your size to defeat them._

"Right. Put me down," she demanded, kicking out at him with her free leg. Her sandal fell off and hit her in the face on its way down. He growled and dropped her, her shoulder hitting the metal hard. When they were lovers, he was rough and sweet and all about her; when they were sparring, he was teacher and she was student and he didn't hold back. She appreciated the sentiment and probably would have hated if he cooed over her every injury, but seriously.

She pushed up with a huff, pulling her sandal back on and held her spear in front of her, her grenades scraping her legs every time she moved. They circled, her unsteadily and he predatorily. She waited, eyes darting and looking for an open. _Calm yourself,_ he said, lunging. She thrust her spear up, ready to parry, but he swept her legs out from under her. _And always observe your opponent_, he growled, booted foot pressing into her chest.

"This isn't good," she moaned, standing up when he helped her. "These guys are experienced, this is their terrain; how the hell am I supposed to survive?" Guan-thwei rumbled and grasped her shoulder, shaking it slightly. _We stay together; you stay in front, I will watch your back and we will live._

She stared into his golden eyes, taking a breath and straightening herself. "Right, got it. There is only do or do not, no try." He cocked his head, rumbling. She figured he didn't know what she meant and was about to wave it away when he said, _It is the future you see._ Colette stopped and looked at him, narrowing her eyes and opening and closing her mouth a couple of times.

"What? You know Yoda? You watch movies?" She glared at him, remembering his admonition from nearly a month previous. "You said they were a waste of time," she accused, poking him roughly in his abdomen. He growled and swatted her hand away, pulling her spear up and holding it in front of her. _While watching oomans_, he replied, as much explanation as she would get. He held her forearm up and made sure she had a strong grip on her spear before turning away.

She narrowed her eyes and in a move she was sure was probably against their rules, charged, whacking him across the back with the rod of the spear. He roared and turned on her, Colette backing away, gripping her spear to her chest. But instead of a reprimand, he swiped at her, wrist blades extended. She ducked and moved around him, letting her instincts take over, relaxed in the situation and her movements.

_Good,_ he complimented after he'd hauled her up by her ankle again, holding her upside down. _Take every advantage your opponent gives._ Something beeped, an alarm going off deep in the ship. He gently let her down, waiting for her to stand and regain her balance before moving away. _We land in ten minutes_, he said, turning around and cocking his head, waiting for her to follow. She nodded and moved to follow him before the big flashing X came back up in her mind. "Um, actually just gotta take a sec and, um…" She gestured to the bathroom awkwardly, blushing when she turned and reached into her pocket for the small package. Guan-thwei nodded and waited for her, standing in the doorway to his room.

Colette blew out a deep breath when the door to the bathroom slid shut with a hiss and turned the small cup over in her hands. She`d never really been squeamish about her period, but the thought that he`d know exactly when she was menstruating was kind of embarrassing. When she`d pushed the small cup in, she twisted and shook herself until she felt comfortable with the intrusion.

He was still waiting, head cocked and eyes bright. She nodded at him, sighing when he reached out and patted her hair, sliding down her ponytail. She followed him down the hall, feeling the ship bump as it hit the atmosphere and wished she could feel confident.

* * *

The planet was hot and horrible, the foliage thicker and larger than anything she`d ever encountered before. "Oh holy hell," she gasped, unzipping the hoodie and pulling at the cotton that was already sticking to her skin. "Just a sec," she said, holding up a finger when Guan-thwei growled. She pulled off her hoodie, trying to loosen the bracers so she could get it off, and ran into the ship, throwing it on one of the crates in the cargo hold. Running back out, she panted, embarrassed that the little bit of exercise had undone her. She grabbed one of the two water bottles Guan-thwei had strapped to her body, just underneath her ribs on either side, like guns in holsters.

"You guys actually do this here?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair. She was glad she'd put her hair up, the golden strands already heavy in the humidity. Guan-thwei nodded and growled. She felt a small huff of cool air hit her as the ramp retreated into the ship, the door hissing closed.

Guan-thwei grunted and gestured for her to stay in front of him. She started walking, her footsteps crackling loudly compared to Guan-thwei's eerily quiet prowling. The sounds of the jungle were familiar, bird calls and wild roars interrupting the rustle of the leaves and settle of the forest. They walked for hours, the light never moving. Occasionally the natural sounds of the forest were interrupted by the loud electrical crack of a plasma caster or roar of a Yautja.

The first attack came just as Colette felt herself droop with exhaustion. Guan-thwei barked in warning, pulling her away just as a spear impacted the Earth where she`d just stood. She huffed, tripping on a root and landing hard. The other Yautja didn't waste any time, a large disc flying at her, blades extended. She just narrowly missed being cut in half when she rolled away, pushing herself up and extending the spear.

Guan-thwei was already in front of her, wrist blades extended. The other Yautja finally materialized, his suit crackling with energy. Colette swallowed and desperately hoped she didn't freeze up. Being surrounded by the aliens had terrified her, but the experience was new and easily distracting; being attacked by them was too familiar, the predatory movements and hissing something she had almost forgotten.

_An Arbitrator and a ooman? My trophy wall will be impressive_, the other taunted, circling around them. Guan-thwei constantly moved her, putting his leg in front of her and urging her to keep behind him. She heard a hiss and stepped back in time, Guan-thwei darting away when another spear slammed into the dirt. The Yautja attacking them took the distraction and jumped at Guan-thwei. He was smaller but was obviously experienced, long scars crossing his body and his movements exercised and precise.

She grasped the second spear, pulling it out of the dirt and retracting it, pushing it into her belt. _You will return that, animal_, a voice said, deep and terrifying with the same taunting edge that Bakuub's had. Colette whirled around just as a large hand collided with the side of her face, her vision tunnelling for a moment as she flew. She landed hard, rolling on the ground. From somewhere far away, she heard roaring and hissing.

Everything was moving, the colors slipping across each other like an Edvard Munch painting. She half wanted to lay there and watch the world spin but the other half was screaming at her to get up. There was thumping and thudding and roaring somewhere but her ears were ringing and everything was too muffled. She struggled up, squinting against the too-bright colours and the ringing in her head. She saw a large form moving toward her, too fast and she ducked, emptying her stomach contents. Her head was pounding and she raised her hands quickly, cradling her temples and trying not to move.

She felt something run into her, a large body push her toward the ground and reality snapped back painfully. She gasped and tried to roll away, not wanting to deal with being crushed while she nursed a concussion. The large body stopped, however, her spear bending slightly in her hand and she finally looked up. It seemed her attacker had been bending down, ready to lift her or crush her when she`d vomited and brought her hands up. The spear stuck through his throat, odd disgusting gurgles coming from both his mouth and the hole in his neck. Bright green blood flowed down the spear and splatted against the ground.

"Oh holy shit," Colette whimpered. He was still partially alive, his hands twitching and grasping at nothing, masked face tilting as if trying to pull back but not having enough strength. He was gasping for air, but the blood was flowing too quickly and she knew it was only a matter of time. She screamed when two blades punctured through his chest, stabbing his heart and ending his struggle.

Guan-thwei pulled the corpse off her, green blood covering her trembling form. "Oh holy fuck," she whimpered again, frozen. He knelt in front of her and shook her, growling. _We must continue moving,_ he said. She stared at the corpse before turning her gaze to him and nodding. "Okay, yeah, move, move and live, got it."

She was panicking, she could feel it and she could also feel the concussion, her head too sore and body too tired. "Son of a bitch got me good," she said, struggling to stand. Guan-thwei rumbled and gently inspected the cut running from her eyebrow and curling underneath her cheek bone. She could see her confused and pained expression reflected in the dark eyes of his mask.

She was reminded too much of the last time that expression had been mirrored in dark eyes and wished he`d take it off. He took a piece of equipment from his gauntlet and held it up to her eye level. _This will cauterize the wound, but it will sting_, he said. She watched the small hole-punch looking thing with trepidation, jumping when a small bolt of electricity started up between its prongs.

"Oh hell," she groaned, but tilted her face up, closing her eyes and waiting for the pain. She felt his hand over her mouth, both silencing and anchoring her before the heat touched her skin. She screamed into his hand, biting down on the skin and trying not to throw up. It seemed to last forever and when he let her go, she bent over and threw up again, the disgusting remnants of an ill-advised lunch decorating the leaves of an unfortunate plant.

She straightened and wiped her mouth, licking her lips and spacking her tongue against her palate, trying to dispel the taste of vomit. "Ew," she said, grimacing. He rumbled and bent down next to his own kill, quickly removing the skull and spine. Colette covered her mouth, the sick sucking sound almost too much for her sensitized stomach. Guan-thwei turned to her, head tilted and bead clacking. He seemed to be regarding her and she hoped he wasn`t regretting his decision to take a weak-stomached, really shitty fighter with him.

"I should," she squinted and tried to think about her words, everything too fuzzy, her face and head still pounding. She wondered if she deserved a trophy, Guan-thwei being the actual killer. He huffed and walked over to the other corpse, spear sticking out from its throat obscenely. He pulled the spear free, retracting it and laying it gently on the ground. Next he rolled the corpse over and gave it the same treatment, complete with nauseatingly loud sucking sounds.

"Oh wow, how long do you think my luck'll last?" she asked, swaying slightly. Guan-thwei walked over to her, his newest kills displayed grotesquely on his back. He reached out and offered her a long thick black cord. Colette blinked, clearing her vision. "What`s that?" she asked, reaching out and taking it. The moment she grasped it, she felt the familiar corded hair tightly bound into one long dread. "Oh, hair," she muttered stupidly, staring at it and back up to Guan-thwei.

_Your trophy, because this was a joint kill._ Colette nodded and looked down at the dread again. "I don`t feel very good; just putting that out there," she said, tying the dread to her belt. It was long and she had to wrap it around her belt twice to make sure it didn`t drag on the ground. Guan-thwei rumbled and knelt down, checking her eyes, his face waving in front of her. "Shit, how is this supposed to happen?" she asked, slumping slightly. She had barely survived one hit, and that was only because of pure dumb luck. Again.

Guan-thwei growled and grabbed her arms, shaking her slightly. "Oh, please don`t do that," she groaned, her head pounding. _We must keep moving_, he growled, _you must hide your wounds and weakness. They will be used against you_. Colette pouted and wanted to whine, but when she looked at him she remembered where she was and why she was there. Leaning forward, she brushed her cheek against his mask, needing the contact and support, even if it was cold metal. He growled, tilting his face toward her. She could feel how tense he was, feel his muscles flex on her arms and was grateful he allowed her this much.

"Okay, we just gotta take it kinda slow," she said, pulling away. Guan-thwei rumbled and tilted his head, golden eyes bright. _My speed has never been brought dissatisfaction before._

"Yeah, well, you're kinda fast," she said, talking about his walking. When he rumbled and ran a hand over her hair, she blinked and thought back to what he had just said in response to what she had said. When she got it, she narrowed her eyes at him, a small smile on her lips. "Seriously?" He rumbled and stood up, gesturing her to stay still. She gave a small huff of laughter, the situation oddly ridiculous, even given the recent events.

He walked back over to the corpses, taking out a long tube and sucking up some blood with an odd punctuated hissing. "What are you doing?" Colette asked, leaning over and trying to peer around him. He walked back over to her and held the straw up and in front her. _Open your mouth_, he ordered. Her gaze darted between him and the straw-sucker thing that was covered in drops of bright green blood. "Um, why? I-you're not-Oh no," she stammered, shaking her head, "I am not drinking that."

_It will help you heal_, he growled, shaking it. Some blood dripped onto her clothes and she wanted to protest before she looked down and took in her bright green form. "Oh yay," she said morosely, pulling the cloth away from her body. When he growled again, she slumped and shut her eyes tightly, her head swimming in the sudden darkness. She opened her mouth and tilted her head back, tongue sticking out like she was about to catch a snowflake. When the blood hit her mouth, spicy and sweet, she swallowed it quickly, trying to pretend it was his. Which, again, was a very strange thought.

She had to admit, though, the moment she'd finished the last bit, she felt mildly better, the sting receded slightly. Everything was slightly more in focus, the light more bearable and the sounds not so echoing. She sighed and had to remember to trust him on these things. He handed her the retracted spear and she tucked it into the back of her belt, her own still tucked in the front.

Grabbing her sandals, which had been knocked off with the blow, she contemplated leaving them, but decided she didn't want to get some weird jungle disease by stepping on a poison plant or something. She slipped them on, wishing she'd spent the ten extra dollars on ones with straps. She started to walk in front of him at his gesture, past the two headless corpses and tried to imagine why she was doing, focussing on the end of the week; one of his weeks, she reminded herself.

They still had nearly two of her weeks to go, she thought. Fuck if her face didn`t hurt something fierce.

* * *

And it begins. Yay! I hope you enjoy, and as always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8

Oh Heck, sorry it took so long for this to come up! But, yay, chapter 8! Thank you so much for the reviews and favourites! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

They had been able to rest twice, and on the second day, her period had started. Guan-thwei had sniffed her in trepidation, the scent of her hormones apparently thick. _The dried blood will cover some of the scent_, he'd said, rubbing at the flaking green blood on her shirt and jeans. She wrinkled her nose and wished she could jump in a lake but understood the importance of camouflage, especially now.

They were attacked again near the end of the second day, a younger Yautja who taunted and hissed too easily. Watching them from the safety of a high perch, she could admire that Guan-thwei was really, really good. Every movement was calculated and precise, his steps measured and even. Comparatively, the other Yautja danced around, his movements fast and impatient.

Guan-thwei easily parried and blocked every single strike, rumbling and growling. The fight was rather short, Guan-thwei holding up the severed skull with a deafening roar. He climbed the tree he had set her into and helped her down. Like before, he suctioned up some blood and made her drink it. She had to admit, past the entire blood from a freshly killed alien thing, it helped. It was like Gatorade and a caffeine pill rolled into one and she felt instantly better.

He never took his mask off and she was starting to miss his golden eyes and the flare or tension of his mandibles. The only contact he allowed was when he needed to direct her somewhere, and he would grasp her shoulder, moving her in that direction instead of speaking.

The only time he rested, he had found a rather small cave and pushed her to the back, his large form laying across the entire entrance to the hole. She was instructed to stay awake and keep watch over his large body and alert him to any intruders. As an extra measure, he set up a few mechanical traps, explaining that if any other Yautja had masks, which they all probably did, they`d be able to see any electrical traps set up and would give away their position.

That was probably the most terrifying time, Colette staring over the large body of her lover, her abdomen cramping and head pounding with exhaustion. It had started to rain that night, heavy drops of water splatting against the leaves and stone, every sound making her jump. She occasionally glanced at Guan-thwei, his mask off while he slept and gripped in one large hand. He was clicking and rumbling again, his mandibles twitching. Colette cursed her hormones and over-active emotional drive when she teared up, thinking about him and their possible future and everything they were doing for each other. She gripped her hair and groaned.

When he woke up, she was resting her chin on his stomach, staring out at the unrelenting foliage. He rumbled and ran a hand over her hair, sitting up. She sighed and rubbed at her tired eyes. She wanted to stay and sleep but knew they had tarried too long. She stood up a little unsteadily and stretched, grunting when her back protested. She reached around and underneath the spear she'd shoved into the back of her belt, rubbing at her lower back. He reattached his mask, tilting his head before following her out.

* * *

The time on the planet was nearly half-up when they were attacked again. Guan-thwei tensed, his hand at her shoulder and squeezing. Colette froze beside him, her breath hitching as she tried to hear what he heard. A crackle of electricity to her right made her jump, her heart leaping into her throat. A large Yautja appeared, his spear retracted, large body covered in skulls and large bones.

He tilted his head and nodded at them, long greying dreads clacking. His mask was simple like Guan-thwei's, but he had an intricate tattoo-like design curving up the left cheek and into the edge of the mask. Guan-thwei rumbled back and bowed his head as well, long dreads scraping and sliding against her skin. Colette looked between the two, alarm turning to surprise and then confusion when they both removed their masks.

_Surprising_, the other Yautja greeted, tilting his head down, dark green eyes looking her over. Guan-thwei rumbled and stepped up behind her, his large form a comfort. _A story you will not hear_, Guan-thwei replied, extending his spear. The other Yautja laughed, long and loud and Colette jumped, the sound unexpected in the situation. He extended his spear as well, but instead of charging, he stepped up to them both and extended his hand. Guan-thwei reached over her, passing his large hand over her ponytail and grasping the other's forearm in a classic big guy greeting.

Colette looked between the two massive creatures and wondered how many other Yautja were as dark as Guan-thwei, the other Yautja's coloring similar to the many beiges and greens she'd seen on the clan ship. _Will your pet run or hide?_ the other Yautja taunted, still gripping Guan-thwei's forearm. _Neither_, her lover replied, _she will watch you die_. The other laughed again, head thrown back and Guan-thwei rumbled in amusement.

Colette opened her mouth, but Guan-thwei gently pushed her to the side, toward a large tree. Sighing and with one final glance back, she started to climb. She nearly lost her grip and slid down when a loud roar echoed through the forest. Climbing as fast as she could when the clang of metal on metal and the dull thud of flesh colliding with armour started up behind her, she grabbed onto the highest branch she could reach and hauled herself up.

She didn't know what that had been, but she assumed they were companions or hunting buddies or at least had previous contact with each other. She watched them fight, for once seeing Guan-thwei matched, both their movements practiced and even, every strike and parry backed by massive amounts of calm strength.

She was gripped by the fight, the mystery Yautja and Guan-thwei exchanging jibes between each attack. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought this would end in some locker room with towel whipping and a pint at a seedy sports bar. But each attack was precise and meant to maim or kill; nothing about their actions was wasted on superficial injuries. She was so engrossed with the fight, the grunts and roars loud enough that she didn't hear the tell-tale schink of a spear extending.

She thanked every God available for her slight ADD when, mildly bored with no apparent winner yet, she turned her gaze away for just a moment and caught sight of the wavy figure in the tree across from her. Shrieking, she did the only thing she could when a large spear was launched at her. Twisting away, she lost her balance and started to fall, cursing herself every kind of fool for not remembering lesson one. The spear slammed into the tree with a loud crack, one of her empty water bottles punctured through just underneath her armpit, the wood of the trunk splitting with the force.

"Oh holy hell," she groaned, undoing the holster with unsteady hands and hoping her luck could hold out. The branch dipped as her attacker landed on it, his suit crackling away and revealing a large dark Yautja. He had no mask, his golden eyes revealed in a dark face, long dreads heavily decorated.

The Yautja reached for her just as the holster came away, one large hand grasping her t-shirt and tugging her up. "Oh fuck," she whimpered, held close to the large face and cold, golden eyes and hoped it wasn't the last thing she saw. He rumbled, fingering the second spear she'd shoved into the front of her belt and yanked it out. Shaking his head, he laughed at her, ignoring the fight going on below. She could hear Guan-thwei roaring and the one he was fighting with taunting him.

The dark Yautja holding her squeezed her neck, forcing her to cough as she tried to draw breath. _A ooman in the hunt. How embarrassing_, he said, shaking his head. Colette narrowed her eyes and started to scrabble at his arms, her back arching as she tried to breath. She felt something sharp dig into her back and remembered her own spear, tucked into her belt. Rolling her eyes up, she silently thanked anyone listening and flailed behind her, acting like she was trying to get away.

The dark Yautja rumbled and shook her, her arms hitting her back with the movement and giving her the perfect opportunity. Grasping the spear, she looked into the golden eyes so like Guan-thwei's and reminded herself again why she was there and gathered all her courage and strength. Pulling it out, she quickly extended it, seeing the moment he noticed the weapon, and plunged it into his thigh.

He roared and buckled under the pain, letting her go to try and balance himself on the branch. She held onto the spear, gasping for breath as she fell, the metal cutting through his skin and he shrieked in pain, a long gash opening in his thigh. She was held above the ground by the spear anchored in his body, but the angle had changed and the weapon, slick with blood, slipped out of his body and she began to fall.

She gasped and fell, her back hitting a branch hard and winding her, the spear tip cutting into her forehead when the hand holding it bounced against the wood painfully. She flipped over and continued her descent, the ground rushing up fast. The spear landed first, the tip digging into the ground. She felt a burning pain spread through her shoulder as she fell onto the spear, the sharp tip stabbing into her shoulder. She cried out, the momentum of her fall bending the spear and she fell to the side, the tip tearing out of her.

She heard Guan-thwei roar and grimaced when she turned over, leaves and dirt sticking into the wound. A heavy thump sounded from behind her and she rolled over, seeing the large dark Yautja tower over her. She scrambled up and reached for the spear, trying to suppress the nausea at seeing a piece of her flesh stuck to the barb.

_You would still fight; how fun_, the other Yautja taunted, circling around her. Colette's entire left side pulsed with pain, the blood running freely underneath her cotton t-shirt. She could hear Guan-thwei and his opponent fight but couldn't see past the massive trunk of the tree. Her attacker was limping, his blood running just as freely and pooling beneath his feet.

"Okay," Colette said, swallowing and cursing her voice for wavering. She had faced down Bakuub, she could face down this fucker. She grunted, pulling the spear free. He charged immediately, his wrist blades extended and she threw herself to the side, skidding on the ground as her sandaled feet tried to find a purchase. Cursing, she ran around him, remembering what Guan-thwei had said.

Her shoulder screamed when she bent down mid stride and awkwardly pulled one of her sandals off. Just as he was turning to her, she threw the shoe and hit his mandibles, one of the thin straps catching on his lower tusk. He seemed surprised and maybe repulsed by the footwear so near his mouth, leaning back slightly and shaking his head. Colette took the opportunity and charged, her spear raised.

He easily parried the attack, even as he tried to shake off the sandal. She turned, his wrist blades sliding off the shaft of her spear, and kicked out at his wound. Her bare foot hit the gash hard, her foot slipping against the slick wound, toes catching at the edges of the jagged flesh. He roared and slashed down at her. Colette twisted into his body, bracing herself on his abdomen and raising her spear to stab him in the back.

When she raised her spear, however, she was reminded of her wound and she cried out, dropping the weapon. She felt a large hand fist in her hair and pull her head back, strands tearing free from her scalp.

"Ah, fuck," she cried, scratching against the body she was being pulled away from. He rumbled and pulled her up, her head burning. He roared in her face, mandibles flared and eyes bright. "Whatever, fucker," she spat at him. He snarled and shook her, bringing up his wrist blades and brutally pushing them into her wound and through her shoulder.

Colette screamed, tears sliding down her face as he twisted the blade and rumbled. _You think to take on your betters_, he taunted, removing the blade. She gasped, forcing her eyes open. Everything was swimming and had a dark edge to it, the pain threatening to engulf her. She thrashed, her grenades swinging against her legs.

It was futile, she realized, held up above the ground by the thing that was going to kill her. She was stuck, and she relaxed, swallowing and staring her attacker in the eye as a plan formed. He tilted his head, rumbling. She snarled and bared her teeth, narrowing her eyes. He shook her, ignoring her cry of pain and mirrored the expression, roaring at her. She took the opportunity and removed one of the slim grenades from her belt, depressing the button. She shoved it into his mouth, her lips twisting. "You and me both, fucker," she snarled, pressing into his fangs and feeling them cut into her palm.

She kicked at his thigh, hitting his wound, and he dropped her, hands reaching for the grenade she now had three seconds to run from. Scrabbling along the ground, she threw herself behind the trunk of the massive tree just as the explosion rang out, studs and bits of flesh flying past the trunk with a high hissing sound.

Colette was breathing hard, her wounded shoulder starting to go numb. She pressed herself into the tree, swallowing and sobbing, too tired and pained to care about anything else. She felt a strong hand on her good shoulder and reached up, trying to push whoever it was off.

_Hold still, _came the familiar voice, and Colette slumped in relief. "Oh shit, I-I got one," she panted, clutching onto the strong shoulders. She felt his beads scrape her arms as he moved his head, bent over her wound. _It will not be easy to heal_, he warned, pressing into the wounded flesh.

"When is it ever?" she asked, turning her face away from the ugly wound. She heard a tearing and felt the jungle humidity hit her shoulder and bared breast. _If the cloth sticks, it will start an infection_, he explained, manipulating her shoulder so he could see the wound better.

_We must find shelter_, he rumbled. She swallowed her nausea, gasping for breath through her sobs. She stood up unsteadily, clutching her shoulder in pain. "Fuck fuck fuck," she cried out, putting pressure on the wound and wincing. She could feel the warmth of her blood run down her back and wondered how long she had.

He walked around the large tree and made a small noise, either a snort or grumble, and returned with her spear. Retracting it, he grabbed her arm and started to pull her along. _The blood will start attracting others, _he said, pulling her along urgently. She whined and stumbled along behind him, dragging her feet and trying to staunch the bleeding.

He roughly pushed her into a cave system, the best he could do given the situation. She hoped no one was hiding or resting, and he seemed to have the same idea, reattaching his mask and flipping through the different visuals. Taking out some of the laser traps he had, he attached two to the walls near the entrance, the red beams cutting across the cave entrance.

She watched through a haze of pain as a bowl unfolded, a blue flame starting underneath it. She swallowed and tilted her head back, resting it against the cave wall. She heard the scrape of metal on metal but was too tired and in pain to wonder what he was doing. She cried as quietly as she could, clutching her shoulder and trying not to shake too hard, shock beginning to set in.

_This will sting_, Guan-thwei warned and just as before covered her mouth. When it came, the pain was unbearable, her back arching and the scream moving through his hand and echoing in the cave.

She thrashed against him, he holding her down, his other hand pressing her good shoulder into the stone behind her. She wondered when it would end, the pain centred on her shoulder, pulsing with unbearable heat. Her teeth cut into his flesh over and over when he shoved a finger between her lips to keep her from biting her tongue. She felt the warm blood flow over her tongue and down the corners of her mouth, spicy and tingling and soothing.

Finally, she slumped over, exhausted, her body hitting a limit and giving up. Before she succumbed to the darkness, she caught a glimpse of his bright golden eyes and thought that she could die now.

* * *

She drifted awake, her body warm and comfortable, if slightly sticky. She heard Guan-thwei's growls and rumbles and smiled. She sighed and turned over, reaching for her lover and nearly rolled off her perch on top of Guan-thwei. He caught her quickly, but the movement jarred her shoulder and she hissed. The pain was nowhere hear what it had been, though, and she looked down. She had a massive jagged scar, the dip in her skin red and healing, but the wound itself no longer bled or oozed. Her clothes clung to her skin and she shivered now that she was away from the warmth of her lover.

She raised her other hand, feeling along the edges of the still sensitive scarring tissue. Guan-thwei had not moved, only holding her still and she finally looked at him. She gasped at the spectacle, her reaching hand freezing halfway toward his body bright with blood. She swallowed the nausea and horror, seeing the green blood liberally splattered on the wall and ground, his large dark body nearly phosphorescent in the cave. It had started to rain again, the cold water running into the cave and soaking the knees of her jeans as she knelt beside him.

"Oh hell," she moaned, reaching out and hesitantly running a hand down his body. He groaned, golden eyes pained and mandibles held close. Colette looked around and wondered how long she'd been out when she saw two large corpses near the entrance to the cave, the laser traps gone. "What happened?" she asked, turning back to him and trying to stand. He still held her, though, so she fell back down beside him.

_You have been unconscious for two days_, Guan-thwei replied, groaning when he moved. "How many more days until we can leave?" she asked, pressing closer to his warmth and trying to figure out where he'd been hurt. _Today_, he replied, tilting his head. Colette felt a surge of hope, thinking the cold rain would mask their heat signatures some. "Okay, okay, you need to move, we need to keep moving, remember?"

Guan-thwei watched her, his golden eyes bright in the dim and oddly off-set by the bright green blood covering his face. _I have used up the rest of the burner_, he explained, his large body too still. Colette shook her head, gaze darting between him and the entrance to the cave. "Okay, what's that? Can we get more?" He shook his head, long hair scraping against the floor of the cave. "Why not? Burner, that was the stuff you used on me? That stinging healing stuff?" He nodded again, mandibles twitching.

"Okay, where did you get it from? Those guys might have some, right?" she asked, gesturing to the corpses. She could feel the panic creeping up on her and she tried to steady her breathing.

_I have already taken what they had_, he explained. The cold rainwater was mixing with his blood and flowing further into the cave, creating a dull green path. Colette watched him bleed, not sure what she could do. "Wait, that cauterizer thing, the thing you used on my cheek; that would work, right?"

He shook his head, gesturing to his body. He could barely move and Colette forced herself not to cry or panic, needing a clear head to think this through. _There are too many wounds; the device does not have enough power for them all_.

Colette dropped her head into her hands and blew out a breath, his warm hand squeezing her upper arm. "Shit, why didn't you wake me up? We could have moved sooner, I could have sucked it up." She stared at him, feeling her throat get tight, the telltale burning behind her eyes starting again. She felt helpless, staring at her lover as he slowly bled out. "Okay, no. No, we're going to find a way out. It's raining, your heat sensing things will be out of whack a bit, right? So we can run, or something, or I can go to the ship and get some more medical stuff. No," she yelled, her voice catching when he made an impatient gesture. "No, I can run and I'm small; give me the co-ordinates or something, or beep your ship so I can find it. We've come so far, we're done and we can make it out of here. Goddamn it, Guan-thwei, I'm not giving up."

He sighed and rolled his gaze away from her. _We fought well; there is no dishonour in dying now._ He pulled her closer to himself, his body still pleasantly warm despite the cold water running underneath them. Colette pulled her arm away, crying out when the movement tugged at her healing skin. He growled and reached for her. Colette shook her head, the hopelessness of him finally giving up hitting her hard. "That's not fair," she said, "And yeah, I know, life's not fair and all that fucking bullshit but don't give up. We need to fight." He rumbled and reached for her again but didn't touch her, holding his hand out. She looked at the large hand, up his dark arm and to his light face into the golden eyes she'd fallen in love with. "Please, I gave up everything and I'm not losing you."

He watched her, his golden eyes bright. His hand was still there and she took it, tracing along the scales and lines on his palm. Her tears fell onto the skin, sliding down the dried blood and off the heel onto his arm. He pulled away, her hands gripping onto him before he turned his wrist and broke her grip. She watched him warily, waited for the pat on the head or the amused or warning rumble that he usually gave when she got overly emotional.

Instead he grasped his gauntlet and undid it, pulling it off his wrist and gesturing her closer. Colette shuffled over to him, shivering in the cold, her jeans squishing in the moist dirt. He played his fingers over the surface of the gauntlet, red symbols flashing until a hologram of the ship fizzed into the air. The gauntlet beeped, the ship retreating as if a camera was pulling away from it and the planet showed up. A red triangle zoomed into a part of the planet and then moved quickly to another part, a dotted line tracing a quick path over the image.

_This will show you where the ship is. Follow the path and return quickly_._ The burner is in a small bag marked with this symbol_. He traced a symbol on her arm and she committed it to memory. She looked up at him, allowing him to attach the gauntlet to her wrist, which really covered her entire forearm and some of her elbow, and nodded quickly. "Got it; grab stuff and go." She leaned in and kissed his forehead, lips whispering against the rough scarred mark gently. "Hang on," she pleaded, more tears falling into his skin. She rested her forehead against his own, looking into his golden eyes and tracing his mandibles with her fingertips, tugging gently on the tusks.

"I love you," she finally admitted, holding his gaze and smiling slightly. He rumbled and patted her hair, tugging at her wet ponytail. She didn't expect a response, hoped for one but didn't expect it, so when he leaned up, his breath growling out of him painfully, a sob burst from her lips.

_Return_, he said, his mandibles embracing her face, his golden eyes pained but bright. She nodded and kissed him one last time, pushing up and away. She bent and grabbed a spear, her remaining grenades heavy around her waist. "I love you," she said again before she turned and ran into the rain, the gauntlet hanging off her wrist.

* * *

The rain was harsh and cold but she kept pushing herself, staying as low as she could. Her ruined clothing did nothing to keep her warm, the wet cotton snagging on branches and dragging along the ground.

After having to stop for the fourth time, she cursed and tore the rest of the cotton shirt off, shaking it off the gauntlet. She thankfully didn't run into any fights, trying to keep moving even as she felt her limbs get heavy with cold and rain. She shivered, gripping onto her spear tightly. She didn't know how long had passed, the symbols on the gauntlet indecipherable to her, but she finally found the ship, rain beating against the metal hard. She shivered and walked across the small clearing and stood in front of the ship, expecting a door to open.

"Shit shit shit, come on," she gasped, folding her arms around herself and shaking. She stepped up to the metal and pressed, rubbing her palms along the wall of the ship, trying to find a seam or something. She tried to think back to whenever Guan-thwei had opened the ship and looked down at the symbols on the gauntlet. "Oh fucking hell," she cried, tapping the different screens on the gauntlet. "Come on come on come on!" she yelled, slapping the screen with the flat of her hand.

She heard the loud yell behind her and grimaced, more pissed off than scared. "Oh hell to the fucking no," she said shakily, her teeth chattering. She spun, her spear extending. The other Yautja was already charging when she faced him. Crying out, Colette jumped out of the way, slipping in the wet mud and rolling. She felt the cold mud push into her nostrils, her hair sticking to her bare back.

She pushed herself up, gasping for air, and shaking her head. She snorted the mud out, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Rain cut through the thick mud and ran into her eyes. She wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm, trying to clear her vision.

There was a sick squelching behind her, heavy movements sticking in the thick mud. She turned quickly and froze when she saw the Yautja tilt his head in her direction, but he wasn't looking at her. She gripped her spear and started forward, the thick mud squishing between her bare toes and the Yautja turned and fluidly threw his spear.

Colette threw herself out of the way, the spear hitting the mud loudly and sliding. The yautja charged, but he slipped in the mud and lost his momentum slightly, barrelling into her with his right shoulder. She felt the wind knocked out of her, her ribs bending slightly but thankfully not breaking. He didn't fall on her, only knocked her away a few feet and into the mud. She slid and rolled, scrambling up. She'd lost her spear and clumsily searched around in the thick mud for a large rock or any other weapon before he regained his footing.

She pulled herself away when he charged, sliding along the mud and she felt his heavy footsteps run past her. Turning, she pushed herself up on her elbows and watched him warily, his movements suddenly cautious. He had stopped and was now looking around in confusion, his steps slower. He backed up, head cocked as if listening.

Colette looked at him and winced when he turned his gaze to her, but he kept moving, over-looking her. Colette quietly lifted her arm, moving just as slowly as cautiously as he and wiping some mud from her eyes. He stepped past her, backward and looking around. The rain still poured down and she felt mud squishing into her ass, cold and wet. The realization hit her quickly; their heat vision was hindered by the cold and rain except when they were wearing masks and this one, like the other, did not have a mask on.

She thanked God and started to wonder at her luck, hoping this was a sign that someone somewhere wanted her to be happy. She reached down and fingered the grenades, but he was too close and the blast would either hurt and deafen her, or maim and deafen her. Either way, she had to think up an alternative fast.

Her spear was lying in the mud, a few feet away. His spear was closer, but would also bring her closer to the hunter. She shivered, watching him kick around in the mud as if searching for something. The rain was sliding down her bare neck, past her bound hair and Colette got an idea. A really stupid one, but her only chance, given the situation. She watched him search around, head tilting at every noise as she carefully pulled her hair free, holding the grimy elastic between her fingers.

Breathing deep, she tried to slow her heart beat as she lifted the elastic and strecthed it back, a small pebble nestled between her fingers holding the elastic. She let it go and watched it fly and bounce off his shoulder. He turned and roared, running in her direction. Colette pushed up and slid out of his way, running to his spear sticking out of the mud. He roared and turned on her, long dreads flaring. She grasped the spear and pulled it out, the mud sticking to it.

She felt a strong hand grasp her healing shoulder and gasped at the pain, pushing the extended spear behind her. She felt the thud of metal hitting flesh before the tip bit in, sliding into the body behind her. The Yautja howled, releasing his grip and grasping the spear. Colette let go and ducked, scrambling out of the way.

He pulled the spear from his flesh with a sick sound, roaring into the rain. Colette ran to her own spear, sliding and grasping it. She pulled it up and stayed low to the ground, turning to him.

_Clever_, her hunter yelled into the downpour, long hair flaring as he turned his head, trying to find her. Colette stepped cautiously, letting her feet sink into the mud before taking the next step. He stepped with her, still trying to find her position. "Getting old?" she taunted, stepping away quickly when he turned to her position.

_Ooman?_ he questioned, shaking his head. _You make good sport_, he complimented moving cautiously toward her. Colette narrowed her eyes, stepping around him before she spoke again. "You make it easy," she replied, watching him turn to her. She stayed low and gathered more mud, sliding it onto her skin and clothing. He snarled and rumbled, bright green eyes bright. _Were you a warrior, I would offer you mercy_, he said, stepping in her direction.

Colette made her way around him, edging toward the ship. It sat low to the ground and would hopefully offer enough of a barrier against the blast. Fingering one of her grenades, she swallowed, shivering against the cold rain. Gathering her courage, she braced her feet apart, putting all her weight onto her right leg. "Too bad I can't say the same thing!" she yelled at him, throwing her spear. He growled and dodged the weapon, running toward her. Colette pulled out the grenade and depressed the button, counting down until she reached two. She threw the grenade and pivoted, running around the ship.

She heard his roar a second before the explosion rang out, studs slamming into her ankle as she dove behind the ship. The large metal hull rocked with the explosion, pieces of metal and earth and whatever else hitting the ship with dull and sharp thuds.

Colette hissed and gripped her calf, blood seeping through her fingers. "Oh fuck" she moaned. Something impacted the earth beside her, splashing wet mud onto her body. She turned, teeth chattering and jaw tight with pain. She stared into the lifeless eyes of the top half of a broken skull, the skin singed and hanging off in some areas, bright green blood and brain matter clumping in the wet mud.

She turned away, grimacing and forcing down the urge to vomit. Kicking at the gruesome remains with her good leg, she slipped and fell over, catching herself on the wrist gauntlet. The gauntlet beeped and she felt a hiss of air, the ramp extending and brushing past her shoulder. "Seriously," she huffed, looking up into the dimly lit interior and rolling her eyes. She turned back to the disgusting remains, grimacing. "For fucking hell's sake," she groused, pushing herself up and limping over to the partial head.

"Alright big guy," she groaned, grasping the remaining dreads and dragging it behind her into the ship. The heat hit her hard, the mist curling around her calves and parting as she walked. She deposited the disgusting head onto a crate, opening it up and rummaging around for jerky. She shivered and grabbed her hoodie from the cargo bay, sighing when the warm cotton enrobed her.

It wasn't hard to find the medical room again, limping through the halls and hissing with pain. She made her way around the high tables and poked around the different instruments, looking for the package Guan-thwei had told her about.

She felt the metal studs digging into her muscles with every step, her calf torn and bloody but she didn't know what to do, the extent of her knowledge solely revolving around CPR and how to treat burns. So she quickly bandaged her leg, pulling the gauze and padding tight and testing her leg. It hurt like hell, but with her leg bound so tightly she found she could put more weight on it. Tucking the package into her jeans, she grabbed a plastic case of needles and thread and some small knives.

Making sure everything was safe and secure she limped her way through the ship, hoping no one had been attracted by the explosion. She ran out of the ship and tried to close the door, but whatever she had done was not working his time, so she turned and quickly ran back into the forest, limping with each step and hoping no one jacked the ship while she was gone.

* * *

He was gone. She looked around the dark cave frantically, the corpses thrown away from the entrance. She saw a new corpse further inside the cave, her heart skipping a beat when she noticed the light beige colouring.

She wanted to call his name, but staring into the gloom she knew that would be a bad idea. Whatever had happened while she was gone had driven him away, or taken him away. Either way, something could still be in the cave that wanted to hurt her, so she stepped inside as quietly as she could. The rain was starting to clear up, the sounds of the jungle starting up again. Her hoodie clung to her, the wet cotton as useless as her t-shirt, but she was out of the weather and so hoped to warm up soon. Clutching her spear and making sure her package was safe, she started deeper into the cave. She coughed, her lungs rattling ominously and heat creeping up her body as the fever began.

* * *

She didn't know how long they'd been separated, but she found herself out in the jungle again, running and cursing her stupidity. She'd lost her spear and had used up her last grenade inside the cave, causing a slight cave in and crushing her two pursuers.

She hadn't found him in the cave, only more blood and bodies and she'd felt her hope rise at every body that wasn't his. There had been others in the cave, but she was small and fast and could squeeze into cracks and holes they couldn't chase her through.

Now she tripped over a root and rolled to the side, a spear impacting the earth where she'd just lay. Pushing up, the wrist gauntlet sliding on her arm, she grabbed the spear and retracted it and ran, breath whining out of her every time she put weight on her injured leg. A roar followed her, her pursuer cracking branches as he jumped from tree to tree. _I will take your head without weapons_, he roared.

She heard him drop to the ground and roll, his large form getting closer and closer. She gripped the spear and abruptly changed direction, sliding in the still wet earth and skidding into a tree, crying out when her leg slammed into the wood. Grunting, she pushed off the trunk and ran into the foliage, her pursuer cursing and growling as he slid and continued to follow.

Her lungs were sore, the extended stay in the cold tightening her chest and she coughed hard, spitting the phlegm and saliva to the side. She saw a large opening underneath a massive tree and hoped it would be deep enough. Pushing herself hard, her legs sore and wound screaming, she pushed off with her toes and slid head first into the small cave, roots catching at her hoodie. She unzipped it and let it hang, clawing further underneath the tree.

A large hand reached for her, dark skin marred by light auburn freckles and she stabbed the retracted spear into the palm. There was a shriek of pain and the hand was pulled away, a large face blocking the little sunlight pushing into the dark.

_You must come out_, he growled, dark green eyes flashing. _I will wait_. Colette was breathing hard, tears sliding down her face, breath wheezing out of her through abused lungs. She hadn't found him and now she was stuck underneath a tree, starving and exhausted and suffering from a cold. She wasn't getting out of here, she realized, shivering with fear and fever. She gripped the spear, listening to her hunter move around outside, the tree creaking occasionally. She hoped he wasn't strong enough to push the massive things over, or that the tree was strong enough to withstand a pissed off Yautja slamming into it.

Bits of dirt and odd bugs fell onto her with each impact and she brushed them away, itching at a few bites at her waist. She was so tired, the medical package digging into her thigh when she shifted. For now she was safe, though she knew the moment she fell asleep the giant monster would be doing his utmost to grab at her. So she forced herself to stay awake, but the more she tried to keep her eyes open the heavier they felt.

Her leg was bleeding through the bandage, the white gauze now different shades of red. She gripped the spear and looked at the green blood sliding down the shaft, licking her lips. She didn't have much of a choice, seeing the large creature look into the entrance again. He extended his hand, more cautious, and she shifted the spear to her side. He didn't fully reach for her, but when she extended the spear, the tip slammed into his hand and she twisted, tearing bits of skin and tissue away from the hand.

He roared and pulled his hand back as she retracted the spear, bright green blood thick on the tip. A chunk of flesh was impaled on one of the barbs and she reached out and picked it off with trepidation. Swallowing, her stomach gurgling, she ignored the loud thuds against the trunk of the tree and pushed the flesh past her lips. It had the same texture as a rare steak and she tried to tell herself she was just eating a cow and not a large alien who was hunting her. She swallowed the half-masticated piece of meat, the flesh too large and sticking in her oesophagus. She pounded her chest and swallowed, eventually getting the piece of meat down her throat.

She took a deep breath, her stomach rebelling but thankfully the food did not make a return trip. Licking up the blood from the spear, she felt the spicy sweetness slide over her tongue and tingle down her throat. Like before she felt better, the pain receding and her mind clearing. She looked out past the hanging roots at the pacing feet and sighed. She was stuck and the only way out was if the creature outside got distracted, bored, or killed. Seeing as the two former would not happen easily, and the latter never, at least by her, she could see no way out.

She settled back, ready for a long wait when the pacing feet stopped and turned. Her hunter snorted, feet moving away from the opening. She heard a dull thud and growl from somewhere outside. For several moments there was nothing, but then heavy footsteps returned to the tree. The feet were back but were now splattered with bright green blood. Colette felt her breath hitch and wondered what had happened, whether this was a new hunter or if the old one had just gathered a new trophy. A dark hand rested on the ground as large knees bent into sight, light beige stomach coming into view before a familiar face poked into the entrance.

Colette rolled her eyes in relief, slumping against the ground. Scratching at various bug bites, she crawled toward Guan-thwei, his golden eyes bright. "Oh hell, you have no clue how happy I am to see you," she sighed when she'd pulled herself out of the little cave, wrapping her arms around his bent form and holding tight. He rumbled, his body tensing and she pulled away, remembering his injuries.

"Shit, sorry, I got the stuff," she said, pulling the battered package out of her jeans. "But you weren't there when I got back and I couldn't find you and, oh fuck, please, please don't do that again," she begged, gripping the package and frowning up at him. He rumbled and passed a hand along her hair, most of the strands no longer held back and hanging in front of her face in greasy straggles.

"Fuck, I need a shower," she complained, grimacing at her own odour. Guan-thwei rumbled and pulled her close again, one strong arm cupping the back of her head and holding her to his shoulder. She felt a strong hand poke at her leg and she whimpered, leaning away from his touch. "Got attacked," she explained. He pulled back and bent further, lifting her leg gently. "You should see the other guy," she joked, her voice cracking. He turned it and she hissed, looking away when he poked the bloodied bandage. The mangled body of her attacker lay a few feet away, a large hole in his back and his head bashed in. Guan-thwei grumbled and let her foot down, standing with a grunt.

Colette made a small noise and turned back to him, about to offer him the package but stopped when she saw the many cauterized wounds. "Hey, you're healed!" she cried, reaching out and tracing along one large closed gash. He rumbled and tilted his head, his golden eyes bright. "And your mask, where's your mask?" she asked, reaching up and, unable to reach his face, ghosted her fingers along the thin skin of his neck.

_Stabbed an opponent in the face with it and took his cauterizer. I shall have a new mask fashioned when we return_, he rumbled, turning away. _We must leave; our time is up and your wound is infected._ Colette looked down and frowned at the bloody bandage. "You can smell it?" she asked, walking in front of him when he gestured. He rumbled and placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her through the forest.

It was hot, the sun beating down on them again, and she knew they had to move fast, the heat making their scent easier to detect. She figured with all the blood and body odour she had around her she was an amazingly easy target. He may have been mostly healed, but he had still lost a lot of blood and she was still coughing every few steps. Her bug bites were starting to get painful and Guan-thwei growled and grabbed her hand when she started to scratch at them again.

She looked up at him and frowned before he held her hand up in front of her face. She'd been scratching so hard she'd broken skin, her fingernails covered in blood. After that, she'd dug her fingernails into her palm every time the itching would start. The forest was quiet and she felt herself tense with every step they weren't attacked. She heard the footsteps this time, large feet rushing them. She pivoted and ran, her leg buckling under her and she collapsed with a cry, narrowly missing the blade disc swung at her head.

Guan-thwei charged, picking up her spear at the same time and extended it, forcing it through their opponent's shoulder. The other Yautja, light brown with beige spots, howled and grasped the spear, pushing the weapon out of its shoulder. Guan-thwei stumbled, his strength sapped and the other Yautja took the opportunity to strike. Colette moved to help him, but Guan-thwei ducked the blow and pushed her away. She landed hard on her back with a cry and looked up in surprise as Guan-thwei and the other Yautja fought.

Like their second fight on the planet, this Yautja was smaller and more impatient. Guan-thwei, though, was weakened and so his movements were slightly clumsy and slow. Colette watched in trepidation, wanting to help but sensing she'd just be pushed aside again. Guan-thwei had taken the spear back and they were now sparring, large forms rushing each other.

Thankfully like the other fight it ended relatively quickly, Guan-thwei extending his wrist blades and decapitating the other Yautja. Colette breathed a sigh of relief and rushed forward when her lover slumped, resting his weight on the spear. "Shit, we need to go. How much farther?" she asked, pulling him along. He rumbled, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder.

She turned and was about to give him another small speech about perseverance when he pulled her against him, his warm blood smearing on her bare skin. She smiled and pressed into him, but the urgency of the situation had her trying to pull away. "Come on," she whispered, but he held her close, his wearied breaths moving her hair.

_You are my strength_, he rumbled, his chest moving under her cheek, his irregular heartbeat soothing her. Colette smiled into his rough skin and dug her fingernails into his side, holding him close. "Really corny," she muttered, unwilling to move now. He rumbled, his large hands settling on her lower back and holding her closer. _When I would give up, you force me to move. When I would die, you inspire me to live. You are my strength_. Colette blinked away the tears, the words corny and insincere if they hadn't come from the person she least expected them to.

"Right, yeah, you're…you're the love of my life, you know?" He rumbled and passed a hand over her hair, tugging at her loose ponytail. _Come, we do not die today_.

Colette nodded, pulling back and smiling. "Alright, big guy. Follow me."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! I'm still iffy about the fight scenes but I hope you like! Sorry it took so long, but I fought a crap cold, then a really crappier bout of food poisoning :( One chapter to go! Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading!


	9. Chapter 9

So I lied; this is the penultimate chapter. It was getting really long, so I split it up. Was able to work on this while sick, so got it up rather quickly. Yay! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The ship was still there, intact and open, one side scorched. Guan-thwei rumbled, stepping over the gruesome remains of her kill curiously. Colette shrugged tiredly at his questioning look. "Like I said, other guy," she explained, grimacing when her foot sunk into something. She refused to look down, pulling her foot up and wiping her sole against the mud. Guan-thwei rumbled and gestured for her to stay as he stepped up the ramp, spear extended. She shifted and looked around at the jungle surrounding them, listening to the sounds and leaning into the hot breeze. She felt an odd sense of pride when he came back, smiling up at him as she climbed the ramp. He rumbled and pulled her arm closer to himself, tapping the screens on the gauntlet.

"Couldn't figure it out," she explained, embarrassed and swaying into his heat. She could feel her exhaustion in the pounding of her head and the lethargy of her limbs. She absently scratched at her bug bites before remembering Guan-thwei's reprimands and lowered her hand. He caught her shoulder and held her as she swayed. She could barely move and when she fell into him, Guan-thwei only rumbled and picked her up. Before they got to his room, the steady rhythm of the passing lights had already lulled her into sleep.

* * *

Everything was hazy, the world spinning around and flashing. Her entire body was on fire, her limbs too heavy and her hair indescribably textile. Somewhere she knew something was wrong, but everything had an odd numbness to it, the entire world melting like a Salvador Dali painting.

There was nothing, but she knew where things were. She couldn't see anything, but when she moved, she knew she was passing a table, or seeing a picture. It was odd, being in the grey space and knowing there was more out there.

"Figured it out," Amy said, leaning against a wardrobe that faded in and out as the world shifted and melted. Colette nodded, looking around. Somewhere far away, she saw bright blue and wanted to reach for it so badly. But it was so sturdy and there that, in this space filled with movement and uncertainty, she was scared of its surety.

"And the shoes? Honestly, don't worry about them. I mean, they were Louboutin's and they were fantastic, but they saved your ass."

Colette glared at the image of her friend, still ethereally beautiful. "So, are you my official spirit guide or something?"

Amy laughed, that high almost grating giggle that had made Colette want to punch her the first time she'd heard it. It was an unassuming, completely, honestly air-headed sound and it was uniquely Amy's. "That'd be a hoot, wouldn't it? After everything I did in life, forced to stand around and guide other people into their destinies is not where I'd have imagined myself."

"You're really articulate," Colette said, moving toward her. But no matter how many steps she took, she stayed in the same place, equidistance between Amy and the bright sure blue.

"I'm really you," Amy said, cocking her head to the side and pursing her lips. "What I am is your fabrication of me; and what I'm doing is giving you a choice."

"My own body giving me a choice," Colette said, nodding. "Heh, where were you when I went through puberty?" Amy tilted her head, full lips curving into a smile. "Hidden away with your breasts, and by the time you actually got them, I'd gotten bored."

Colette laughed, throwing her head back and guffawing. "Oh holy hell, I'm funny," she said, giggling. Amy made a face, her expression incredulous. "Lady, that's like telling people your mom thinks your cool; she's the only one."

Colette wrinkled her nose and wiped at some stray tears. Far away, she knew she should feel pain, could feel it whispering against her limbs and over her spine. "What's happening?" she asked, looking around.

"You're hurting," Amy said, sliding to the ground and sitting cross legged, her jockey pants pulling tight at the knees, her boots settling uncomfortably underneath her calves. Colette frowned. "Hurting? Why? I'm on the ship, right? That wasn't a dream?"

Amy shook her head, full lips in a secretive smile. "Nope. You killed two Yautja, go you! I mean, they were dramatic and cheap, but you did it." Colette glared at her, recognizing her own pushed aside thoughts and smiled. "Yeah, well, Xena didn't always fight fair."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Seriously, can you even remember if I knew about Xena? Good thing this isn't some weird afterlife thing or you'd be doing a lot of explaining and stomping right now."

Colette shook her head, expression playfully pitying. "Seriously, who goes through life without Xena?"

"The kind of girl who could afford to travel to exotic places and not just watch them wistfully on TV."

"You're a bitch," Colette said, no heat in her voice. Amy shrugged. "I am as you remember me. Ooh ooh, think of me as, like, the ghosts from A Christmas Carol," she said, clapping excitedly. Colette frowned at her. "You're trying to tell me to not be so greedy? Aren't you here to give me a choice?"

"Yes," Amy said, nodding and adjusting her pants. "Okay, here's the deal, lady. I can't tell you what's happening, because you don't know what's happening. But I can tell you that you're dying."

Colette had already suspected that and looked away, biting her lip.

"I don't know why, but let's assume it has something to do with your infection, the flesh you ate, or the exotic bugs that ate you underneath that tree." Amy cocked her head, bringing her knees up and looping her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. "So this is your choice, lovely; stay here and slowly fade away while unconscious, or live while unconscious, but with how things are going, it's not looking good. Or you could make your way over to that bad ass color over there and rise back into consciousness. Your chances of living and dying are pretty much even either way, but one gives you the option of fading away painlessly, while the other lets you have a last moment with your giant hot-bodied sex god."

"'Giant hot-bodied sex god?'" Colette repeated, raising her eyebrows.

"Your thoughts," Amy reminded her, a dirty smile playing on her lips. Colette narrowed her eyes, pressing the tip of her tongue against her teeth but let it go. Thinking about her choices, she let out a deep breath, cocking her head and staring up into the turbulent grey.

"No other choices?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. Amy shook her head, watching her.

"How much pain, exactly?"

"Seriously?"

Colette frowned at the question, looking at her friend. Amy shook her head, standing and brushing herself off. "When you were in the cave and he was dying, you were willing to do anything, and he fought and won, while nearly bleeding to death, just so he could live for you. He said you were his strength, and you told him he was the love of your life, but you're more concerned about your own pain rather than taking this final chance to see him?" Amy looked at her, brown eyes narrowing. "You love him, right?"

Colette nodded, flushing at the reprimand. "Of course," she said, looking away from the brown eyes that seemed just a little too keen.

"Okay, so live for him; or at least wake up for him. I can tell you it's been two days, our days, not his, and he hasn't left."

Colette looked over at her friend, at the trendy vest hanging off the slim body and fitting over the loose jockey pants. She didn't want to ask the question, didn't want to keep stalling with Amy's reprimand running around in her head, but she had to know.

The brunette cut her off quickly, though. "Yeah," she said, brushing a hand through her dark curls. "You're probably going to die, but do you want to die here, painlessly and alone; or do you want to look at the person you professed to love one last time."

"But if I die, he dies," Colette said, wiping at her eyes when the tears welled. Amy nodded, looking disinterested. "Yeah, you both knew what you signed up for and crying is going to do absolutely nothing. So, lovely, your choice?"

Colette looked up and glared. "Seriously, I'm dying, like literally, and you're getting on me about shedding some tears?"

Amy sighed and looked at her, flicking away some imaginary dust from her fingertips. "It's just that you do it a lot, and what has it accomplished? You're a minority, Colette, and you stubbornly refuse to see that. It's like every time life gives you a chance to be strong, you either grasp it whole-heartedly or sit in a corner and cry. You need to be a little more consistent; Guan-thwei is patient and he's never left you. What can you offer him?"

Colette felt the anger and self-pity rise up, the familiar combination suddenly sickeningly pathetic. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, blinking at the sudden question. "Well…I love him," she said, licking her lips.

Amy nodded, her head tilting from side to side in a very rebuffing gesture. "Yeah, okay, but you're still here. So, what can you offer him? What have you offered him?"

Colette glared at her friend. "I've offered him everything," she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Amy lifted a brow, looking down at her nails. "Really, like what? 'Cause last I checked, you never offered anything, just pushed and went with the rolling cheese when it started to go downhill. As for what you can offer, can you have children, or hold your own in a fight that doesn't involve explosives?"

Colette was speechless, wanting to be angry, but the accusations were true. She had never offered him anything except herself, and even that was more of a situational thing than anything else. She'd admitted to loving him, but had never offered up why. She knew, didn't she?

Amy waited patiently, picking at wrinkles in her pants and rubbing away dirt on her boots. Colette thought over everything they had ever done, everything he had done for her and everything she tried to do for him. The reality wasn't pretty and Colette felt herself flush with shame, thinking over everything and seeing herself as he would.

She was small and emotional and whiny, feeling entitled to a world she didn't belong in simply because of her humanity. And he had weathered it patiently, teaching and guiding her even as she pushed against him and demanded he acknowledge who she was. She had fallen for him because she loved who he was but she had never asked him what he had thought of her, assuming he saw her as a nuisance before they slept together, then assuming he'd turned around and loved her when he offered up the hunt.

She had never stopped to consider that love might not have been universal, that it was simply a human sentiment she had placed over his actions to feel better about them. They were to be life mates and he'd professed his feelings to her, but had never said he loved her. She wondered if he could, instantly ashamed at the thought even as she was still curious.

In, short, she had nothing compared to him and what he could have and she suddenly wondered why he was with her, why he stuck with her. She looked up, her heart beating fast and pain starting to frisson down her spine.

"Yeah," Amy said, nodding and smiling. "I'd run, lady, cause you're seriously running out of time."

Colette nodded and smiled at her friend. "Keeping me honest," she said, turning away and starting toward the bright blue.

"Full-time job," Amy yelled behind her. Colette could feel the pain start to deaden her limbs the closer she got to the blue; could feel her head pound and blood scream. She reached out, her hand just grazing the surface and suddenly her world was filled with light and pain. She arched up and screamed, her back bending, the back of her head sliding against the metal table and supporting her weight.

She fell back to the table, breathing hard. The world was starting to clear, the light no longer taking over everything and she could make out the large shadow standing beside her. She gasped, her teeth buzzing and her tongue like cotton in her mouth. She wanted to talk but everything was too fuzzy and painful. She managed to make a small pitiful sound and she felt a large hand gently ease over her forehead and hair, the warm touch a welcome respite from the fever that chilled her.

She heard him growling and felt the side of his mandible press into her cheek, a low keening sound coming from him she'd never heard before. It was heart-breaking, hearing it come from him and she felt the tears well up, but quickly pushed it away. Her arm twitched when she tried to move it, her fingers sliding against the metal.

"Ha-hey," she managed, ending on a high moan when her throat seized painfully at the sudden vocalization. She saw his golden eyes, so clear in his dark face and felt a swell of happiness that she had been able to see him one last time.

She swallowed and nearly vomited, her body rebelling against itself. He rumbled and laid his forehead on hers, golden eyes staring into her blue. _Hang on_, he pleaded, his voice flat through the translator but his were eyes bright and hot. She smiled painfully at her own words repeated back to her.

She tried to hold on, stared into his eyes and begged for the strength to stay with him. But the pain was so much and she was already so tired that when the darkness took her over again, she tilted her head back and let it in.

* * *

She was trembling; she could feel it in her teeth. She woke up, her entire body freezing and wet. Her fingers were curled into her palms, nails digging into the flesh. The world was splotchy and shifting, the light fading from dark to too bright.

Her throat was tight and scratchy and she reached up, itching around the implant. "Gwahn-?" She tried to speak, but everything was still heavy. She heard a shuffle and looked up into his golden eyes as he leaned over her, dreads slipping over his shoulder and scraping against her skin. His mandibles were pulled tight against his mouth and he raised a hand, brushing over her hair gently.

_Just a little longer_, he assured her, leaning down and nuzzling her. Colette frowned and turned her face toward him, rubbing her nose against his rough skin. He brought a blanket over her, holding her as the shivers racked through her body and the sweat soaked the furs underneath her body.

Her breath was too hot against her lips and she whined, trying to turn toward him, tears welling up and sliding down over the bridge of her nose and down her cheeks. He sighed, his hot breath ghosting over her hair and she felt a familiar pinch. Welcomed numbness cooled her body and she closed her eyes, her eyelids too scratchy, and slipped away.

* * *

"Oh, God," Colette moaned, turning over. She buried her face in the furs and breathed deep before she stilled and looked up.

She was alive. She looked around in wonder, taking in the familiar space filled with weapons and armour. His trophy wall was lit up as usual, the broken skull cleaned up. Colette rubbed her face and sat up, dragging her palm down her skin and pressing against her chest. She nearly sobbed when the strong, steady beat of her heart thumped against her chest and through her palm, flowing through the rest of her body.

"Oh God," Colette breathed shakily, slumping slightly with relief. "Guan-thwei? Guan-thwei!"

She didn't get an answer and frowned, slipping off the bed. Grabbing a fur, she wrapped it around herself and cuddled into the warmth. Stepping out into the mist covered hallway, she made her way to the cockpit, sure she would find him there. She walked past several closed doors until she made her way to the wall and pushed, stepping back when it slid up.

He was seated in the closest chair, exactly like he had been when she'd first ventured through the ship. He turned to her and tilted his head, golden eyes regarding her. Colette smiled and walked forward, reaching out for him. She opened her mouth to speak, head tilted and golden hair tickling her shoulders.

Instead, a deep purr rolled out of her and his upper mandibles flared, eyes brightening. Colette gasped, choking on the sudden intake of air. She coughed, the filter pressing into her throat, hand reaching up and rubbing her chest. "What the fuck?" she exclaimed, bringing her hands up and tracing over her throat and down her chest, where the purr had begun. Guan-thwei rumbled and reached for her. She stepped into him when he pulled her toward him.

Colette felt his hands slide up and into the furs, large fingers curling around her waist and holding her close. Colette was breathing hard, the metal implant suddenly uncomfortable, every breath exiting on an odd rumble. "What happened?" she asked, balancing herself on his shoulder.

_You changed_, he said, nuzzling into her chest and trying to move the blanket. Colette pushed him away with an odd, annoyed growl, shaking her head at the alien sounds coming from her. "What? Changed how?" she asked, looking down at herself. She opened the blanket cautiously and stared down her own chest, twisting her hips. Nothing seemed different, she decided, tilting her head. A few more freckles, but that could be the result of the exposure to the sun. Guan-thwei rumbled and pushed his hands up her body, tracing over her belly and up to her breasts.

Colette turned away with an odd hissing sound, covering her mouth at the aggressive noise. "What happened?" she asked, tucking the blanket around her.

_You mutated_, he stated, the chair creaking as he stood. Colette blinked and turned to him.

"What?" Images flashed through her mind and she shook her head. "Mutated, like, what?"

He tilted his head and watched her before brushing past her, grasping her upper arm and leading her through the ship. She tripped over the loose furs as she tried to keep up with him. "How long have I been out?" she asked, following him into the medical room.

_Two days_, he replied, letting her arm drop and moving around the tables. "Two days? Shouldn't we be back on the clan ship by now?" Guan-thwei shook his head, taking a small metallic tube off the wall above a table. _They knew you were injured and will give you time to see if you die or pass_, he explained, turning to her. He raised a light and shined it into her eyes. Colette blinked, recognizing the brightness but the color was oddly fuzzed out. She squinted, seeing the bulb and glass but no color even as it shone into her eyes brightly.

"Wha-?"

Guan-thwei nodded and grunted, moving the flashlight away. Colette looked up at him, rubbing underneath her eye, pausing at the scar curving underneath her cheekbone. It felt odder and grittier than the rest of her body and she picked at it, wondering if it was a scab of some sort.

_Do not, _Guan-thwei rumbled, pulling her hand away. Colette frowned up at him, looking around for a mirror. "What happened? What was that light?"

_It was red_, he explained, moving away from her. Colette took a deep breath and let it out on an irritated growl, scratching around her implant that was digging into her throat. "Okay, why couldn't I see it?"

_You did not mutate completely. Your vision was mutating to our own heat vision, but was stopped. Your primary color recognition was impacted slightly, _he explained. Colette raised a hand, quickly grabbing the furs when they started to slide down her body. "Whao, okay, back up and let's take that again, shall we? Mutate? What, when, where, and why?"

He rumbled and came back to her, gesturing for her to sit up onto the table. Colette sighed and hopped up, crying out when the fur caught on the table and slipped to the floor. Shrugging, nothing he hadn't seen before, she pushed herself up, amazed that her muscles had developed so much in the past two weeks.

She got her hip up onto the table, and hopped around, her legs dangling over the edge. She looked up at him, arms crossed over her chest. He rumbled and began to move his hands over her, starting with her face and pressing gently into her bones. She frowned but recognized the gesture from her father's first-aid courses; he was looking for any abnormal bumps that could indicate an internal injury.

She felt him slide over the scar on her face, the nerve tissue severed and so she only felt the pressure, not the comforting feeling of his warmth or rough skin. He traced down her neck and she purred, flushing and clenching her jaw, trying to restrain the odd sounds now coming out of her. He paused at her shoulder, again caressing the scarred tissue. It was too high up and Colette only got a glimpse of dark scar tissue.

He continued down, and she smirked when he began to purr, caressing her thighs. She tilted her head, smiling and bumping his forehead with hers. "Is this where I put on thigh highs and a paper cap?" she asked. He looked up at her, mandibles twitching and growling. She waved the questioning sound aside, amazed at the amount of inflection she was now able to hear in his vocalizations.

He rumbled and continued down, lifting both her legs and massaging the muscle, pressing down hard on her right calf. Colette had forgotten about her most recent injury and gasped at the sight of the oddly dark scars peppering her leg. Her skin had grown back with an odd mottled brown shade, the scars standing out against her pale skin like mud splatters.

"What the hell?" she asked wonderingly, lifting her leg and smoothing down her skin, hesitating at the rough feel of the scars. She raised a hand to her shoulder and then to her cheek, comparing the textures.

"When you-when you said mutate, you didn't mean, like, X-Men, did you?" Guan-thwei tilted his head, beads clacking. Colette swallowed and let out a shaky breath, a hint of a whine sliding on the air. "Oh God, oh god, oh god. Um, so…" she looked up at him, unable to phrase the question.

_Your blood mutated when you were bitten by the bugs_, he explained, setting large hands on her thighs, a warm comfort as her breath began to speed up. _The insects that bit you, many, in fact, spread their venom through iron in the blood stream. Yautja have very little iron, needing a minimal requirement compared to oomans_.

Colette looked up at him and frowned before she looked back down at her leg, brushing his hand aside so she could raise it to the table again. "My blood?" she asked, tracing around the darker skin that scarred her. He rumbled and nodded, beads clacking and dreads scraping against her skin.

"I mutated because bugs bit me?" she asked, looking up at him again. Guan-thwei nodded, _I suspect your body may have already started, but the bug bites exacerbated the speed and effects_.

"Wait. I was already changing?"

_Suspected you were already changing_, he corrected her, reaching up and tugging at her long hair. _It seems many physical aspects were mutated, but your neurology remains mostly ooman_.

Colette blinked, raising a hand to her head and tracing through her hair as if she could feel her humanity in her brain. "Physical? Like what?" she asked, reaching around and tracing over the translator implant.

_Your filter is useless; your lungs are able to survive the air_, he said, reaching out and touching the implant in her neck. Colette made a small noise, swallowing and feeling the implant press uncomfortably into her throat. "My eyesight?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to resist touching every part of her body to see if she was still human.

_As I said, your recognition of primary colors was affected; you do not see red, but I am not sure about your other two colors_. Colette frowned, looking around, not noticing much different with the world. But in a society who saw in heat vision, color was not a massive priority. Colette frowned, thinking about her painting and art; she didn't know how much she'd be able to do anyway, but to have such a massive handicap was devastating.

_Your hearing was also affected; you still need the translator, but you will be able to make out emotions within our voices, now_, he said, and she finally made out the slight inflection, just a lowering of his tone at the end that indicated the sentence was over and not overly worrisome. It was hard to pick up and she hadn't noticed it until now, but she figured it was better than nothing.

She was rumbling, she realized, and shook her head. Guan-thwei caught her chin and leaned in, nuzzling at her neck and scar. "Okay, so what's up with the scarring?" she asked, turning her face away. He rumbled, hands at her waist and holding her again.

_Your blood is Yautja, your new skin will also be Yautja. We must get to the clan ship soon, _he said, but he didn't move, fixated on her scar. Colette nodded, shifting on the uncomfortable table. "Yeah, wouldn't want them to think I'd died," she offered, trying to push him away.

_They know you live_, he replied, offering up her arm for scrutiny and reminding her of the implant. "Oh, yeah," she said, letting her hand drop to his shoulder, squeezing the hard muscle. "Oh, do they know I, you know. Can they…sense or read that, or something?"

Guan-thwei shook his head, moving away from her but still gripping her waist. _They only know your heart beat_, he said, pulling her down from the table. Colette nodded, leaning into his warmth when she was standing.

"So, how long?" she asked, following him down the hallways. She didn't have any clothes and didn't relish walking out in a toga, but didn't see an alternative.

_Once I contact them, four hours until we dock_. Colette nodded. "Okay, but how long until I'm…you know, all Yautja-ed out, and stuff," she said, waving her arms around her body for emphasis. Guan-thwei settled into the chair when they got back to the cockpit and shook his head. _You may never_, he said, claws tapping against the console. She frowned. "Really? I'd just be like this, then?"

He nodded, his screen opening up. Colette frowned, seeing the spaces where the symbols would be on the screen but unable to see the actual red. _Not at such an accelerated rate,_ he said, settling back in his chair when the message was sent off. _Your body may continue to mutate with each wound, or slowly and continuously over time, or not at all. _

Colette raised her brows and nodded, poking herself in the stomach, and cocking her head. She placed hand on his shoulder, looking at the pale skin against his darker tone and bit her lip. She had started to growl, a small sound and she frowned, wondering if she'd ever be able to control it. "Would you want me to?" she asked, shifting her gaze up to his when she asked the question, fingers curling and digging into his forearm.

He tilted his head, growling a deep and slightly bemused sound. _Why would you want me to?_ he asked. Colette sighed and looked away, scratching at her cheek. "Just, you know…" she growled and swallowed, rolling her eyes at her impossible sounds. "Would I be more attractive? You know, to you?" She flushed, biting her lip and tracing figures on his skin with her fingernail.

He barked, a loud amused sound that made Colette jump. _I would not mate you if you were unattractive_, he said, pulling her close. Colette shrugged, annoyed at his laughter. "Well, yeah, but I could be more attractive_,_" she said, frowning and looking away. She could feel the embarrassment and anger crawling over her skin and pooling in the core of her, making her wet.

She gasped, blinking and clutching his forearm. "What was that?" she asked, eyes shifting as she tried to understand her body's latest reaction. He huffed, pulling her close and nuzzling her skin, mandibles poking at the scar on her shoulder. _We are mates; mates only fight before mating_, he explained, rough hands tracing down her back and over her hips, pulling her close by her thighs. She fell into his chest, gasping.

"Wait, what? You-," she looked into his eyes and wanted to laugh. "You guys believe in make-up sex? What happens if you fight with someone who isn't your mate?"

He rumbled, large fingers curving around her thighs and brushing against her wet sex. Colette gasped and tried to move away, but he was riled up. _If they do not wish to mate, they are formally challenged_, he said, removing one hand and starting to fiddle with the knot of his loincloth.

Colette pushed away from him, hopping when he refused to let go of her thigh. "Hey, no, whao. Four hours until landing, big guy, and I'm still not used to this whole mutant thing and I doubt they'll take kindly to it because I ate you guys and this is so…so bad," she finished shakily, breathing hard when he threw the cloth and metal aside, pulling her to him by her leg. "Oh, not fair and we shouldn't because it takes some time and we'll still need to shower and, oh wow…okay, that's-uh, fuck…ah huh, oh yes!"

She felt his large finger enter her, her leg still held up and open. She bit her lip and tried to move away, grasping his wrist to push him out. He took it as encouragement, however, and crooked his finger, hitting her just the right way. Colette cried out and nearly fell into him when her legs buckled. Quickly removing his finger, he caught her waist and drew his hand down over her hip and thigh. Turning his hand, he grasped her other thigh and lifted, pulling her closer to him.

Colette gasped, clutching onto his shoulders and staring at him when he settled her on his lap, one hand leaving her to line himself up. She closed her eyes when he entered her, letting her slowly drop onto his cock. She winced and stopped, pulling herself up and letting herself fall back down. It took a couple of drops until she sat fully on his lap, breathing hard. Leaning her head against his chest, she felt his large arms curl around her, hot hand caressing her lower back.

Lifting slightly, she began a short, slow rhythm, getting used to him again. He growled, his muscles tensing and flexing around her. She raised her hands up and rested them on his chest, smiling at the small comforts her was offering her. But her body needed something more, something harder. She stopped and looked up at him before snaking her hands up to his shoulders. Leaning back slightly, she caught his golden gaze, staring up into his eyes as she raised herself slowly, feeling every bump and ridge slide inside her.

He rumbled, large hands flexing on her waist when she got to his tip, holding herself there, arms and legs shaking from the combined pleasure and exertion. She stared at him, biting her lip and smiling. Twisting her hips teasingly, she squeezed her inner muscles. He growled and tightened his grip, his claws digging in to the soft skin of her waist.

She leaned in and captured one of his mandibles, licking up the soft skin and biting slightly before she leaned back and smirked at him. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and pushed down hard, taking him fast and hard. He roared, his fingers tightening on her waist and lifting her up again. She gasped when he brought her down and simultaneously thrust, filling her hard and deep.

Crying out, she bit his chest, fingernails digging into his shoulder with each thrust. He groaned, lifting her up and standing. Colette gasped at the new angle and sensation, her legs hanging as he thrust into her before turning and quickly pulling her off. Depositing her in the chair, he turned her over, her cheek pressing into the leather. _We do not have much time_, he said, holding her down and thrusting back into her. Colette cried out, bracing herself on the chair and pushing against him. One large finger rubbed at her clit and sent her over the edge screaming. She arched up, her chest pressing into the leather and she felt his sharp teeth dig into her shoulder a moment before he came as well.

She felt him fill her, felt the sharp needles of his teeth bite into her shoulder and hoped no one would notice.

* * *

Colette stood by the door to the ship, shifting slightly as they docked with a slight bump. She was freshly showered and dressed in linens she'd cut up and tied around her in a loose dress. Her belt fit around her waist, cinching the material and carrying her trophies. They weren't much, a dread to indicate a shared kill and a mandible because she couldn't carry the skull, even if it were only half.

Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, the strands held back by the recovered eye socket of her first kill. Macabre, she thought, but Guan-thwei had said it would prove her status as a warrior. She felt the ship settle with a lurching finality before the door hissed and began to open. Taking a deep breath, she clutched her spear to her side and quickly checked her hair, with a rather ironic smile, before she stepped out behind Guan-thwei.

The reception was almost the same, but Colette was able to pick out more curiousity and bemusement in the assembled Yatuja. They walked through the familiar public places, Yautja parting for them, but there was more curious sniffing now. Colette hoped they'd showered enough and tried not to experimentally sniff herself, glancing down at her body as if she could see the scent waves coming off her. It didn't help, of course, that she had a fresh bite mark.

They passed the guards and statues, stopping at the large doors and bowing to the large female guards. Colette bowed as well, swallowing and looking up at the opening doors with trepidation. Last time she'd been here, she didn't know what to expect; now, she had a fair idea of what could happen but that almost made things worse.

They walked into the large auditorium and Colette felt like throwing up. The space was filled, all the formerly empty benches seating perhaps two or so hundred Yautja, and they were all watching them walk into the room. Colette felt slightly numb, feeling her feet move and remembering at the last moment to lower her eyes before she could make eye contact with the Clan Elder in front of such a large audience.

_You return_, the Elder said from her seat. Guan-thwei stopped and bowed, Colette doing the same and trying not to fidget. She'd fought, killed, and eaten these guys but they still terrified the shit out of her. She wondered if this was what animals felt like, some species around for millennia and still fearing the larger humans on Earth.

_And stronger_, she continued, shifting in her seat, metal armour scraping against metal chair with a slightly discordant sound. Colette trained her eyes to the ground, listening for Guan-thwei's answer, but when none came, she risked looking up at her lover. He was looking at her, golden eyes bright and began to rumble slightly. Colette made a small sound and looked up as much as she'd dare, wondering if she should speak. She had no clue what to say, not certain if she was talking about her mutations or trophies.

"Thank you, Honoured Elder. The hunt was…fruitful and full of honour." Inside she was cringing, grimacing and pulling her hair and hoping she didn't get killed on the spot. Outside, she kept her voice as even as possible, keeping her tone that respectful neutral level she used when critiquing other people's artwork.

There was some chittering around the room and the Elder laughed. _Very well trained,_ she commented, and Colette tried not to blush, which was a shit endeavor of itself. _You have both earned your honour and under the witness of the Council Dahdtoudi will be accepted into the clan and you will both be marked as life mates._

Colette mouthed the unfamiliar word that didn't translate and frowned but stayed silent, kowing she could ask later. She watched the Elder walk down the steps, two large females following after her.

Colette watched nervously as they stopped in front of Guan-thwei, the Elder placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. He did the same but with a slight bow of his head and she gestured to one of the females behind her who brought out a small metal pen. She pressed the bottom with one of those carelessly graceful gestures they had and the tip began to glow a bright red. Colette stared at the glowing tip, watching as it was pressed into the flesh of Guan-thwei's forehead and tried not to flinch at the sound of burnin flesh. The Elder made two flowing gestures and it was done, she removing the pen with a flick and tilting her head.

She then turned to Colette, her long grey dreads clacking. Colette watched the Elder walk forward, the large bending slightly to grasp the smaller shoulder and gave her what should have been a welcoming shake but instead nearly tipped Colette over. She righted herself, not sure if she should try reaching up so instead offered up a deep bow. The Elder rumbled slightly and released her shoulder, tilting her face up.

Colette stared up at the Elder, studiously avoiding her eyes. When the glowing tip of the pen was brought in front of her, Colette swallowed, nervous but relieved that, with the final bit of pain, her ordeal would be over. She glanced over at Guan-thwei who was watching her in turn, head cocked slightly.

_Upon receiving this mark, you acknowledge your new life within this clan and forfeit any life you had before this_. Colette nodded at the words, tilting her face to the side and offering up the bare expanse of her right cheek. The Elder rumbled and Colette resisted closing her eyes or humming or anything else she'd previously used to distract herself from pain. This was her choice and reward, and she wouldn't allow herself distraction from the life she'd chosen.

When the metal tip first bit into her skin, Colette gasped, quickly clamping down on the sound and trying not to whimper as the first cut was carved into her cheek. It was done with the same slow deliberation they seemed to have with everything and it lasted forever. The burning marks blended into one pain, her cheek throbbing and starting to spread through her jaw and down to her neck. She wished she'd let Amy talk her into a tattoo, wondering if she would have been better prepared for the way the needle felt cutting into her skin.

She felt the burning tip leave her skin and tensed, waiting for the next mark but none came. A rough finger smoothed over the mark and Colette couldn't help the wince, opening her eyes and looking up. The Elder nodded, removing her thumb and stepping back.

_Welcome, Dahdtoudi_. Colette frowned at the unfamiliar word again, but bowed deeply to the Elder. "Thank you, honoured Elder."

The Elder tilted her head, regarding her before nodding and turning to Guan-thwei and squeezing his shoulder again. Then, just like that, they were dismissed. Colette was slightly surprised there wasn't more ritual to the entire thing, then remembered the week long nightmare hunt and immediately took the thought back.

They exited through the massive doors, Colette's cheek throbbing and walked back through the public areas. Colette followed Guan-thwei, walking past the familiar hallways and up to the Arbitrator's quarters. They passed the common room and several Yautja growled to them in greeting, many tilting their head at her. Thei-di Thwei greeted them before Guan-thwei's quarters, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking. Guan-thwei repeated the gesture, growling.

_And your pet still follows_, Thei-di Thwi said, reaching out and tapping her on the head. Colette scowled and ducked out of the way, but stayed silent.

_Dahdtoudi is no pet_, Guan-thwei growled, reaching out and pulling her forward by the base of her neck. Thei-di Thwei tilted his head, rumbling and reached out, smoothing a thumb over her cheek.

He rumbled but remained silent, head tilted. Finally, he removed his hand from her cheek and grasped her shoulder, squeezing. He tilted his head to both of them, long greying dreads clacking, and walked to the common room.

Colette watched him leave, turning to Guan-thwei when he squeezed the back of her neck and followed him into his quarters. He closed the heavy wood door and Colette threw herself at him, hugging him close and nuzzling into his hot skin. He rumbled and placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her.

"I love you because you're patient and hilarious," she began, holding tighter when he tried to push her away. Since the dream, she'd been thinking about why she'd loved him and if she was only with him because of the circumstances. If she'd been given the chance to go home after the hunt and trial, would she have taken it? She'd decided on the clan ship she'd loved him, and discovered on the hunting planet how deep it went. Now, she felt like she needed to let him know, even if it was a useless human formality she clung to.

"Because you helped me and guided me and you're really, really hot," she murmured, "And I need you to know that without you I wouldn't be here, or alive, or, you know, anything and this sounded a lot better in my head."

She sighed and scratched her head, embarrassed and let him go. "Just thought, you know, that…that you should know that I love you and stuff." She sighed, her amazing eloquence once again making itself known. He rumbled and tilted her face up, golden eyes bright against his light skin.

_If you did not, I would not have fought so hard_, he said, tracing his thumb over her mark. Colette deflated slightly, her entire self so wound up the past few days, even unconscious, about this that to be told so baldly that it was already a known thing, she felt slightly stupid for worrying over it so much.

"Oh," she said, slumping and looking at the floor. "Well, okay then," she said, looking up at him. "What now?"

He rumbled and ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the strands of her ponytail. _We will armour and arm you, then leave on the ship. I am an Arbitrator, we will not stay on the Clan Ship long_. Colette nodded, looking around the room and staring at her duffel bag, the remains of her Louboutin's sitting on top.

"My clothes are a lost cause, aren't they?" she asked, grimacing. Guan-thwei rumbled, moving into the room. _They are poorly made and will not last long, but you may keep them as long as they last_.

Colette frowned and looked over at her duffel. "Not poorly made," she mumbled, walking over to the bed. Guan-thwei rumbled and reached into her pack, pulling out a tank top and easily ripping it at the seams. Colette's jaw dropped when he offered the material up as evidence.

"Okay, yeah, but in all fairness, I doubt the company had giant aliens on their list of things to look out for when they designed that thing. And, hey, that was Guess!" She sighed, annoyed that these things like her Louboutin's and Guess were still important to her. She wondered if a part of her would ever not be human, then remembered her mutation and looked down at her exposed leg with the rough, dark scars.

"Hey," she called, smoothing down her leg. "So, if I continue to mutate, does that mean I'll live as long as you?"

Guan-thwei stopped and looked at her, beads clacking as his long hair slid over his shoulder. _Perhaps_, he said, moving toward her. _Some oomans have lived as long as Yautja, but they have never mutated. Those who have rarely survive; although it would not be wise to ask around_. Colette frowned when he moved across the room and began to remove his ceremonial armour, focussing on the first part of his statement. The second aprt was a little too depressing.

"Haven't mutated? So, they just ate you?"

_Still eat us_, he replied, turning to her_._

"Still? As in, they-there are people out there eating Yautja? Where? On Earth?" Guan-thwei nodded, moving beside her and pulling her up. "Wait! So, is that a choice or do they have to, to, you know, live that long?"

He sighed and turned to her, smoothing over her hair. _If that was necessary to live with me, would it change your mind?_ Colette breathed deeply, turning her face away and itching around the new mark on her cheek. The skin around the burned flesh was healing with the same roughness the rest of her wounds had.

"Of course not," she said, "It's just something weird, you know?" She looked up at him, pulling her arm away from his grip and adjusting her belt around her waist. "I mean, does that mean I'm gonna be, like, a Yautja vampire?" she asked, looking up at him.

Guan-thwei tilted his head, stroking over her hair. _It is not an easy life or decision_, he said, tracing over her mark and lips, pressing against the soft flesh. _It is yours to make and ours to live with, but know I will stand by you_.

Colette smiled up at him, his formal way of speaking, all the Yautja's way, humorous and old-fashioned to her human ears. "Right, but how?" she asked, leaning into his touch. _As Arbitrator, I am called upon to bring justice to Bad Bloods. Many times it ends in death, with the Bad Blood too dishonourable to be brought back_.

Colette frowned up at him. "Is that legal?" she asked, "Like, is that even okay?"

Guan-thwei huffed and looked away, mandibles held close to his face. _It is not openly discussed and will not be unless a challenge is issued. It would be best to stay away from other clans, though, _he said. His entire body was tense, everything about him uncomfortable and Colette wondered what this meant to him, how he felt about being mated to someone who was eating his race.

She placed a hand on his stomach, tracing over his muscles. "Okay, so what now?" she asked, trying to drop the subject and hoping he'd do the same. She'd make the choice when they came to it, but with her humanity screaming at her she thought she already had. "Um, listen, I know that I probably can't, but there's something I want to do."

* * *

  
And there it is! The tenth and final chapter should be up soon! Aaah! Almost over and I can't believe how awesome y'all have been! Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

And it's done! Oh good golly miss molly, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and hung through this whole thing with me! Thank you!

* * *

It hadn't taken long for them to outfit her, many shop keepers seeming just to want to be rid of her. By the time they were ready to go several days later, she had to admit she looked really hardcore, admiring as much of herself as she could in the high mirror in the bathroom. She'd not gotten much, Guan-thwei saying her speed and size were her main weapons, and so she'd been outfitted with light armour that protected her chest and arms and thighs. Anything else would hinder her too much, he'd explained, at least until she'd built up the strength to run in anything heavier. For the moment, until they could find some better material, she was wearing a tank top and jeans underneath her armour.

They left the clan ship with little ceremony, Thei-di Thwei and several others offering Guan-thwei and occasionally Colette a good-bye, calling her by her new name. She stepped into the small ship with some relief, the familiar mist and dim lighting starting to become a home for her.

Colette sat in the cockpit, watching the endless expanse of space drift past them. "So we just fly around until someone does something bad?" she asked, kicking her legs. Her armour sat heavily on her, the unfamiliar weight constantly shifting on her body and Colette realized how much of a nervous person she was, her body constantly twitching and moving. She took a deep breath and tried to still herself.

_We shall focus on your fighting skills until then_, Guan-thwei replied, standing from his chair and reaching for her. Colette looked at him and narrowed her eyes, a playful smile on her lips. "But I thought you said mates only fought before mating?"

Guan-thwei rumbled, large body turning away and moving down the hall. _We shall focus on that as well_, he said, grasping her arm and walking away. Colette grinned, following along behind him through the mist covered hallways and into the cargo hold.

It was an odd sort of life, she decided as she extended her spear, crouching low and waiting for his attack. He charged, wrist blades out and brought them up for a swipe. She wondered if her parents would be proud as she brought her spear up, turning into him and using her small size to her advantage. They fought and she could feel her increased strength every time she parried or attacked and wondered if that too was a result of the mutation.

She nearly passed out in her armour, pushing herself hard and so impressed with her own strength she ignored the warning signs of fatigue. No matter her strength or recent excursions, she was still human, mostly, and not used to the constant physical exertion of battle.

When he settled her into the bed, she heard paper crinkle as he removed her armour and opened her eyes. "Just the one," she muttered, yawning and turning into the furs. He rumbled and moved around the room before settling down beside her, his warm body soothing her hurts, of which there were many.

* * *

She woke up in the medical room, the bright white light glaring down at her. She shifted and turned over, groaning. She swallowed, her throat dry and scratchy. She was feeling floaty, like she always did after a sedative and looked down at her body, lifting the blanket. Scratching her cheek, she smoothed down her throat and she started to scratch around her implant, stopping when she felt scarred skin instead of smooth metal. She made a small noise and felt around the new scar, rubbing at the rough skin and frowning.

She heard the door hiss open and turned to Guan-thwei, his large body nearly blocking the entire doorway from her angle. She looked up at him and smiled goggily, her head still fuzzy. Taking a breath, she was finally able to feel the warmer air without the filter. "So, no more filter," she said, sitting up and stretching. The blanket slipped down and revealed her skin, smooth and unblemished from the sparring the night before.

Guan-thwei nodded, watching her as she traced her fingers over her stomach. "How long was I out?" she asked, looking up at him. _Only a day, maybe more_, he replied, walking over to her.

"And you couldn't do this while I was awake?"

_I was nearing the end of my day; this way I would be awake when the sedative wore off_, he explained, helping her off the table. He wound a linen around her, taking care to brush his hands over every part of her exposed body.

Colette grinned and gripped his forearms, leaning into him. "So that's how long it takes me to heal, now?" He nodded, squeezing her waist. "Hmm, useful," she said, reaching up and scraping her fingernails down his soft neck and over his chest.

"So, what now?" she asked, looking up at him through lowered lashes. Guan-thwei rumbled and leaned down, long dreads brushing against her arms. _Now we continue your lesson. We will reach the first planet in two days_. Colette sighed and stepped away.

"Seriously, thought you said there was gonna be focussing on mating, too."

_Your reward_, he replied, a tone of amusement running underneath the translated words. She followed him down the hall into his quarters where she removed the linen and put on her jeans and bra, followed by her armour, holding her hair up when he came up behind her and helped her cinch it in place.

When they got to the cargo hold, she watched him push the crates aside to create a large free space. Extending her spear, she charged when he faced her. Anticipating his side step, she quickly fainted to her left and watched him raise his own spear. She pushed on her left foot and lunged for his right side, catching him off guard. Tapping him in the ribs, she moved around him, using her small size to keep him off guard.

He growled and turned, bringing his spear down to block her strike to his legs. She felt him push her spear and twist until she nearly lost her grip. She twisted into his grip and down between his legs, narrowly missing the fist he swung at her. She darted between his legs, striking at his knees.

He rumbled and turned to her, golden eyes bright. _Good, but do not expect all your opponents to go so easy_. Colette scoffed, moving around him. He lunged, pulling his spear back to strike. Colette brought her own up, so focussed on the weapon she didn't notice his hand reach out until he grasped her wrist.

She cried out when he twisted her wrist, forcing her to drop the weapon and brought her to her knees as the pain ran through her system. "Ow ow ow, okay!" she cried, reaching up and pulling at his fingers.

_Focus on the whole of your opponent_, he reminded her, squeezing her wrist painfully. Colette growled, whining when he put more pressure on her wrist. "Okay, yes, got it!" she cried, pulling her wrist to her chest when he released it.

He rumbled and pulled her up. She sighed and stepped away from him, shaking her arm out. When she turned, she crouched again, ready for the attack. They circled briefly before he charged, quickly over powering her and pressing her painfully against the metal floor. _As I said, do not expect them to all go so easy._ Colette snarled and nodded, pushing up when he released her.

"Fine," she snarled, tilting her chin down and looking up at him. She began to move, more cautiously and watched his every movement.

After several hours, she was no closer to beating him, her body protesting as he once again hauled her up by her ankle. "Seriously, there are other ways of looking up my skirt," she griped, yelping when he dropped her. She groaned and retracted her spear, indicating she'd reached her limit. He rumbled and helped her up, his hands softer now that the session had been officially ended. She groaned when she sat up, his warm hands moving over her body and searching for any injuries.

_You are getting better_, he complimented, pulling her up and following her out into the mist covered hallway.

"Uh-huh, tell that to my poor abused body," she groaned. The heat in the ship was helping slightly, but nothing short of a long soak in a mineralized, jet-filled hot tub would heal her. She stepped into his quarters, stretching and grimacing as he helped her with her armour, pulling his own off with ease. She undid her gauntlets and thigh bracers, placing them in the alcoves he cleared for her.

She still wasn't used to the longer days, and so even though she was exhausted, he started to take down his weapons and clean and sharpen them. She stretched and walked past him, naked and flexing. He purred at her, reaching out to caress her thigh. "You know, big bed," she said casually, walking backward toward the furs and climbing onto them, looking over her shoulder at him.

Guan-thwei rumbled, laying down his weapon and getting up. She felt his strong hands caress her thighs and up to her hips, his mandibles following as he licked his way up her leg. She purred, throwing her head back and groaning when he finally hit her sex, licking against her clit. Colette sighed, reaching down and pulling his long dreads. He growled and continued up her body, settling down behind her and tracing small patterns over her belly, dipping down to tease her sex occasionally. She moaned and turned into him, burying her face in his chest.

Colette purred, the odd sound starting to get a little more familiar to her, but she still found herself looking around every time she growled to see if anyone noticed. "Why did you stay with me?" she asked, winding an arm over his abdomen and tracing over his muscles. He rumbled, a questioning sound and drew his hand through her hair.

"Just, there's lots of other females, and Lord knows I'm pretty much shit in a fight and the worst kind of brat, no matter how much I deny it." She shifted and looked up at him, meeting his golden gaze and propping her scarred cheek in her palm. "Why did you put up with everything?" she asked, watching him.

Guan-thwei sighed and tugged at her long hair, claws raking down her back pleasantly. _You were scared and taken from your home; it would have been an issue of concern had you not reacted as such_. He shifted, laying on his back and pulled her up onto his front. Colette arranged herself as comfortably as she could, resting her head on his chest and awkwardly straddling his hips. She could feel his hardening length and smiled, pressing into him. He growled and held her close, fingers brushing through her hair.

_You were strong from the start, showing very little fear, considering the situation. I admit your manner was intriguing, the way you approached the different problems amusing and utterly ooman._

Colette poked him in the ribs, earning a huff and tug on the ends of her hair. "Do you love me?" she asked, looking at his skin and picking out the fine, individual scales that made it so soft and rough.

Guan-thwei rumbled, tilting her face up with one large hand. _Define it_, he said golden eyes bright. Colette frowned up at him. "Love? Well, it's like if you love someone you want to be with them and stuff. But more than that, it's like when you're not together, you're not complete, you know? Like, everywhere you go and you're not together, you wonder about that person, and stuff. Or so they say. It's more complicated, or something." She shrugged and looked at him, biting her lip.

Guan-thwei nodded shortly, upper mandibles flaring slightly. _Then yes_, he said, stroking her hair. "Why?" she asked, tilting her head. He watched her, his golden eyes bright. Finally he huffed and shifted.

_Even as you fought against your fate, you were still respectful enough in the situation. You were determined and forceful in your actions, two ideals that make up the spirit of the Yautja. But in a moment where many would leave me or let fate take its course as we have been taught, you fought and won, your ooman compassion pushing you to help me. You have strength even though you hid it, for reasons unknown, and you are entirely too amusing to let you be on your own_. He looked down at her, growling. _Satisfied?_

Colette smiled up at him, moving up his body and placing a biting kiss on his neck. He groaned, the hand in her hair tightening and pulling her close. Colette breathed deep as he shifted them, rolling over and pulling her closer.

She parted her legs, lifting them high up on his waist and gyrating into him, moving her hips against him. He growled but didn't move, holding her still and looking at her. Colette stared up at him, smiling. It was weird, she decided, her fingers tracing over the mark on his large brow, around the deep set golden eyes and down to the mandibles twitching around the small mouth. She traced the softer inside skin surrounding the small teeth, smiling when he pulled away and growled. She reached up and played with his long dreads, poking the beads in the tightly bound hair.

He did the same, the first time they'd actually taken the time to explore each other as who they were. He ran his fingers through her long hair, tugging at the strands he was so interested in. She figured he played with it the same way she constantly touched his mandibles; they were new and interesting. His large fingers smoothed over the skin of her brow, tracing her eyebrows and over her cheekbones, feeling her scars and pressing down against her soft nose and lips. Colette opened her mouth and bit down on his thumb, smirking.

He rumbled and continued his explorations, catching her hands when they tried to travel further down. He held them above her head, pinning them to the mattress and Colette groaned, pushing against him as he felt along her body, down her ribs and under, just above her belly, and back up to her chest. Palming her breasts and pinching her nipples, he sighed roughly into the skin of her neck, his rough tongue scraping against her flesh pleasantly.

"I thought females were in command," she gasped, trying to wrestle out from under him. Guan-thwei rumbled, his rough tongue playing down her chest and over her nipple, vibrating through her flesh. _Yautja females are larger and stronger_, he replied, his mandibles playing over the flesh of her belly as he licked his way down to her sex.

Colette moaned, arching, her captured hands moving with his and now were at her chest level. He used his free hand to push one of her thighs open, holding it against the furs and purring as he began to lick her clit. Colette cried out, body arching off the bed as his tongue and mandibles teased her.

"Oh, fuck, not fair," she cried, trying to pull her hands away. He held her still, grasping her thigh and pushing it up to get better access. Colette brought her other thigh up and he purred at her concession before barking and turning away when she brought her heel down into his ribs.

His grip didn't loosen, though, and Colette whined, trying to get her hands away. _You fight mating?_ Guan-thwei asked, leaning into her. Colette quickly brought her other thigh in, denying him access and turning on her side, slightly.

"Nah, just figured you should earn it," she said, smirking at him. She kept her legs closed and dug her fingernails into his hand, trying to free herself. He quickly let go of her thigh and hands and Colette, unprepared for the freedom, nearly smacked herself in the face.

He rumbled and turned her over, grasping her hips and pushing her thighs apart. _How have I not?_ he rumbled, leaning over her, his dreads scraping along her skin. Colette moaned and arched into him when a large finger slid over her entrance and to her clit, rubbing roughly.

"What?" she asked dumbly, keening as he finally entered her with one thick finger, stretching her so pleasantly. She felt the tip of a second finger and felt him push in with both, her body tensing. He gently and carefully played her to the edge of orgasm, pushing his fingers in and out and anchoring her to the furs.

_How must I earn you?_ he asked, and Colette wondered what the hell he was talking about, her body convulsing and so close to orgasm. When she remembered, she flushed slightly, embarrassment curling her hips away from him. He rumbled, removing his fingers and stroking her thigh.

"Oh, yeah, that." Colette shifted up, then though better of it and looked over her shoulder at him. "That…nothing. Just, lets, you know, um, take me to pleasure town." She sighed and groaned, burying her face in the furs and snorting. "Oh wow," she sighed, shaking her head.

Guan-thwei rumbled behind her, shifting and grasping her shoulder. She sat up, embarrassed. "I just kinda thought, you know, I could be more Yautja, and stuff and we could fight but you are very big and it didn't work out. And I like the sex the way it is," she said, avoiding his gaze and flushing, a deep rumble starting in her chest. "I just thought you might like something different."

Guan-thwei rumbled, leaning in and stroking her hair. _I do, and you are ooman, I do not know how much different you can be_. Colette rolled her eyes at him. "You know what I meant," she said, poking him. "Um, so…" she trailed off, embarrassed and turned to him. She cocked her head and rumbled slightly, biting her lip at the sound.

He growled, his upper mandibles flaring as he lunged for her. Colette cried out and ducked underneath his body, rolling off the high furs and hitting the metal floor hard. The injuries she'd sustained from their sparring session screamed in protest and Colette gasped at the sudden pain. She felt a warm hand curl around her bicep and looked up into bright golden eyes.

Grinning and shoving away her pain, she pulled her arm away and rolled up, stumbling slightly at the momentum behind her rise. Guan-thwei rumbled and stepped off the bed, gloriously and utterly naked and Colette was half-tempted to throw in the towel then and there.

But the way he held himself, the way his body twitched and eyes burned told her this was something he enjoyed, even as he placated her. So she began to step around him, mindful of where she placed her feet and watched as he did the same.

She bit her lip, watching the length of his cock hang heavy between his legs, proportional to his large size but slightly intimidating compared to what she was used to. She was so distracted, cheeks flushing as she thought of every time he had stretched her, that when he charged, it took her a second too long to react.

She pivoted and tried to dodge his lunge, but he grasped her shoulder and brought her down, rolling to take the majority of the impact. One large arm snaked across her neck while the other held her hips down and Colette felt him shift, removing his arm from around her neck and sitting up slightly to reach between her legs.

She gasped when his large fingers roughly entered her, sharp teeth digging into her shoulder. The hand at her hips twitched slightly, his muscles tense and Colette moaned when he began to scissor his fingers inside her. She felt him shift up, muscles in his abdomen tensing beneath her back as he pulled himself up, anchoring on her hips and she used the opportunity to elbow him in the ribs.

Already off balance, he grunted and fell back, his fingers leaving her and she scrambled up, grinning. She faced him, hands out and curled slightly as he'd taught her, crouching for ease of movement. He stood quickly, growling, golden eyes narrowed.

She lashed out first, not quite knowing where this fight was going but the fire that built in her stomach with each strike told her to keep moving. She growled and rumbled and purred, every odd sound drawn from her exciting him more. He finally pinned her against a wall, pushing her roughly up the metal and holding her hands up above her head.

Colette moaned and twisted, every part of her so turned on that when he finally pushed into her, his large cock entering her quickly and roughly, she came, her body arching off the metal. She screamed and spasmed around him, bringing her legs up and wrapping them around his waist as she convulsed in orgasm.

He growled and pulled out, pushing in and hilting. It was fast and rough, her body screaming for it and she leaned into him, biting into his shoulder and grinding until she drew blood. Guan-thwei growled, releasing her hands and grasping her hips, anchoring her as he began to thrust.

It was the most animalistic they had ever been, his breath growling out of him with each thrust, her hips slamming against the metal wall very time he pushed into her. She clawed up his back, growling back at him, biting every part she could find, his blood running over her tongue and tingling down her throat.

She felt his claws dig into her hips, felt the sting as they broke skin and moaned. She pushed against him as best she could, but he had a hard grip on her, tilting her hips occasionally to get a better angle. Colette groaned when he pulled at her hips, pushing against her clit with the new angle. She felt her second orgasm rush up to her, could feel the tightness and tingling start at her fingertips and travel through her body, heating every part of her skin. She snarled, honest to god snarled, and the odd sound coming from her own lips was enough to set her off. Throwing her head back, she came with a wail, nails digging into his back as she arched off the wall and into his body.

Guan-thwei growled and pulled out, breathing hard. Colette stared at him, whimpering. "Why'd you stop?" she asked breathlessly, shifting in his grip. His upper mandibles flared and he leaned in, embracing her face with his mandibles, hot breath ghosting over her lips and cheeks. Her body shifted slightly when he released her and let her slide down. She stood on shaky legs, wondering what was happening when he bent and pushed two fingers into her, scissoring and stretching.

Colette gasped, clutching his shoulders and throwing her head back. _Too close_, he explained and his thumb began to rub over her clit. He paused and she felt a third finger poke at her entrance, tensing at the sensation when he began to push in. Groaning, she grasped his shoulders and leaned into him, her legs nearly failing her. He pushed into her, gently and patiently waiting for her to accept him. Almost as large as his cock, he spread his fingers gently and Colette sobbed at the sensation, pushing against him.

He began a rough rhythm, pushing into her and growling into her ear. Colette held onto him, trembling as orgasm after orgasm was pulled from her. She was embarrassed when she leaned her head on his shoulder and looked down, seeing the evidence of her pleasure running down her thighs and glistening on the floor.

She didn't know how long he'd expertly played her, but she felt the last of her control snap. Near sobbing with need, she grasped his cock, long and heavy, and started to pump his length, pushing the pad of her finger against the tip. He growled, a deep sound, and pulled away, lifting her up. Colette felt him move then gasped when she was dropped to the furs and quickly pushed to her knees.

He was behind her and entering her quickly, growling as he hilted in one smooth push. Colette moaned and fisted the furs, tilting her hips up. He held still, his large cock pulsing inside her and she tried to move. He caught her hips and held them, leaning down and licking the sweat from the back of her neck. Colette shivered when his hot breath growled by her ear.

_Our females demand multiple release_, he said, starting a slow rhythm into her. _How many more would you like?_ She could make out the teasing underneath his voice, but his growls were tense and the way her held her body told her he was too close. She snarled, her hands gripping the furs tightly and tried to push against him. "Please, for fucking hell's sake, just come," she begged, her body sore and begging for more.

She gasped when his needle sharp teeth bit into her shoulder, his hips starting a relentless rhythm into her body. She rested her cheek against the furs, bracing herself with her hands even as he began to push her over the furs. She heard him snarling and heard her own, high pitched growling. His large hands moved over her hips and down to her thighs, grasping her flesh and pulling her legs further apart.

Colette whimpered, feeling her lower body lifted off the furs and preparing for what she knew was coming next. His teeth bit in deeper and she could feel warm liquid run down her shoulder and soak the furs beneath her. Crying out, she closed her eyes and arched her back, a last orgasm ripped out of her before he roared around her flesh, pulling her body uncomfortably as he came, filling her.

She gasped when he lowered her to the bed, releasing her broken flesh and soothing it with his tongue. She whined and stretched, her body delightfully, familiarly sore. Turning over, she purred at him and he responded in kind, stroking over her hair.

"Seriously," she sighed when he pulled her up, guiding her to the shower. "Do you guys have to be better than us at everything?" He rumbled and helped her wash, her body nearly reaching it's limit. She stumbled over to the bed, squinting at him when she remembered something. "Hey," she said, poking his arm. He rumbled and watched her climb into the bed, settling underneath the furs. "You said multiple orgasms. Last time, I only got one."

_I tried to make up for it; was I successful?_

Colette tried to glare at him, but when he climbed in behind her, pulling her close, she didn't see the need for a fight. "Got lucky," she mumbled. Guan-thwei rumbled behind her, his large body curled around her and soothing her. She blinked sleepily and stared at the pieces of folded paper on the table.

"Do you still hunt humans?" she asked, a question she felt she should have asked a long time ago but only now seemed important. He huffed behind her, his mandibles playing with her hair as he spoke. _I am an Arbitrator; hunting for sport does not interest me_. Colette nodded, feeling herself unwind.

She yawned and scratched the back of her neck, just underneath the translator. The hair around the implant had grown out enough to start to curl and she played with it, smiling when remembering the way Amy's curls had felt when she'd tugged them. She'd started rumbling, and shook her head at her sadness.

She stared at the letters again, closing her eyes. Three weeks was a long time.

Her eyes popped open and she frowned, the suddenness of their arrival, ritual, and departure pushing everything else aside and she sort of felt like she'd just been on a whirlwind elopement to a psychotic Las Vegas. She elbowed him, earning a rumble and rolled onto her back. "Hey, so, am I a step-mom, now?"

_Sleep_, he groaned. Colette shifted, exhausted but energized. "Seriously, and I thought I was going to be alone at Christmas." She smiled when he growled and rolled her over, tucking her face to his chest and effectively muffling any sounds she tried to make.

* * *

Have literally half a dozen different endings, but some were so angsty and others were too sequal-y while still others went on forever. I wanted to end this story and I hope I did well. Gah, it's over and has been awesome! Thank you so much to FancyLadySnackCakes and greyhuntress for their awesome feedback and reviews and for everyone else who was so awesome to let me know I was doing something right!


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